Self-Reported Voice and Swallow Questionnaires' Alignment with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Questions: A...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) frequently causes speech and swallowing difficulties, impacting patient quality of life.
• The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) includes domains assessing speech/voice and swallowing, but their clinical utility for screening requires validation.
• Existing questionnaires like the Voice Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) and Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) provide patient-reported outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the correlation between patient-reported voice and swallow outcomes using the V-RQOL and SSQ, and the corresponding UPDRS domains.
• To determine if self-reported speech/voice decline predicts self-reported swallowing decline in individuals with Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease.
• To assess the potential of UPDRS speech/voice and swallow questions as early screening tools for laryngeal dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• An observational, preliminary cross-sectional study involving 15 participants with Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease.
• Participants completed the V-RQOL, SSQ, and the speech/voice and swallow sections of the UPDRS.
• Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to control for potential impairment.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between the SSQ and UPDRS question 2.3 (chewing/swallowing) (P < 0.001).
• No significant association was observed between UPDRS question 2.1 (speech/voice) and V-RQOL.
• The MoCA scores positively correlated with V-RQOL (P = 0.01), and V-RQOL was significantly associated with SSQ scores in regression analysis (P = 0.02).

Conclusions:

• UPDRS speech/voice and swallow questions show potential as initial screening tools for laryngeal function.
• These UPDRS domains may facilitate earlier detection of speech and swallowing issues in Parkinson's disease.
• Further extensive research is recommended to validate the efficacy of these UPDRS components in reflecting underlying speech/voice and swallowing impairments.