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Exploring the Efficacy of the Effortful Swallow Maneuver for Improving Swallowing in People With PD

Not Yet RecruitingNA

Sponsor: University of Alberta

Conditions: Dysphagia, Parkinson Disease (PD)

Interventions: Effortful swallow

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a 4-week effortful swallow exercise program helps adults with Parkinson disease who have swallowing problems. The effortful swallow is a swallowing exercise where a person swallows with extra effort. Researchers will compare adults who start the exercise program right away with adults who start the program after a 4-week waiting period. All participants who remain eligible will have the opportunity to receive the exercise program. Participants will have swallowing assessments, including video X-ray swallowing tests called videofluoroscopy. They will also complete questionnaires and take part in a remotely supervised swallowing exercise program with a speech-language pathologist. Participants who remain eligible and take part in the exercise program will use a tongue pressure device during practice. The main study period lasts about 10 weeks. Participants will also complete brief follow-up questionnaires at 6 months and 12 months.

Eligibility overview

Sex: ALL

Age: 18 Years to —

Healthy volunteers: No

Study type: INTERVENTIONAL

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18 years or older
* Neurologist-confirmed diagnosis of Parkinson disease
* Self-report of one or more swallowing symptoms, such as difficulty managing secretions, coughing during meals, choking on food, or respiratory infection other than COVID-19 in the past 6 months
* Baseline videofluoroscopic swallowing assessment showing prolonged time to laryngeal vestibule closure and/or poor pharyngeal area at maximum constriction on regular-effort swallows with thin or mildly thick liquid stimuli, relative to healthy reference values

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of head and neck cancer
* History of radical neck dissection, anterior cervical spine surgery, or neck/oropharyngeal surgery, except tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy
* History of any neurological disease other than Parkinson disease
* Cognitive or receptive communication difficulties that preclude the ability to follow English-language study instructions
* History of brain surgery, including deep brain stimulation