Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026

A Protocol for Comprehensive Assessment of Bulbar Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS
Published on: February 21, 2011
Orofaryngeale slikstoornissen bij neurodegeneratieve aandoeningen
1Radboudumc Nijmegen, Afdeling Revalidatie, Sectie Logopedie, Nijmegen, The Netherlands, hanneke.kalf@radboudumc.nl.
Oropharyngeal Dysphagia In Neurodegenerative Diseases:
Neurodegenerative diseases are progressive degenerations of the brain with increasing movement disorders, like gait, speech and swallowing disorders combined with cognitive disorders, like dementia. Neurodegenerative diseases have in common that aspiration pneumonia is the most frequent cause of death in the end-stage of the disease. This article provides an overview of the prevalence, characteristics and treatments of oropharyngeal dysphagia resulting from multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), Huntington's disease (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and dementia. The prevalence of dysphagia ranges from 32% in MS, 57% in patients with dementia to 73% in patients with MSA and almost 100% in patients with PSP or HD. Treatment is aimed at swallowing with less effort, swallowing more safely and/or optimal nutritional intake. When cognitive decline and behavioural changes increase, passive compensations like food adaptations and comfortable mealtime conditions become the principal interventions.
Related Concept Videos
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Dementia l: Introduction
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ...

