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Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Adapting Human Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Methods to Detect and Characterize Dysphagia in Murine Disease Models
Published on: March 1, 2015
Skill training for swallowing rehabilitation in patients with Parkinson's disease
Ruvini P Athukorala1, Richard D Jones2, Oshrat Sella1
1Department of Communication Disorders, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand; New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Objective:
To examine the effects of skill training on swallowing in individuals with dysphagia secondary to Parkinson's disease (PD) and to explore skill retention after treatment termination.
Design:
Within-subject pilot study with follow-up after 2 weeks of treatment and after a 2-week nontreatment period.
Setting:
Clinic in a research institute.
Participants:
Patients (N=10; mean age, 67.4y) included 3 women (mean Hoehn and Yahr score, 2.6) and 7 men (mean Hoehn and Yahr score, 2.4).
Intervention:
Patients underwent 10 daily sessions of skill training therapy focused on increasing precision in muscle contraction during swallowing using visual feedback.
Main Outcome Measures:
Data from the timed water swallow test, Test of Mastication and Swallowing Solids, surface electromyography (sEMG) of submental muscles, and swallowing-related quality of life questionnaire were collected at 2 baseline sessions (conducted 2wk apart) at the end of treatment and after 2 nontreatment weeks to assess skill retention.
Results:
Immediately after posttreatment, the swallowing rate for liquids (P=.034), sEMG durational parameters of premotor time (P=.003), and preswallow time (P<.001) improved. A functional carryover effect was seen from dry to water swallows (P=.009). Additionally, swallowing-related quality of life improved (P=.018). Reassessment at 2 weeks after treatment termination revealed short-term retention of treatment effects.
Conclusions:
A skill-based training approach produced functional, biomechanical, and swallowing-related quality of life improvements in this cohort indicating compelling evidence for the effectiveness of this novel approach for dysphagia rehabilitation in PD.
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