Dysphagia in Parkinson´s disease. A 5-year follow-up study
Authors: Santos-García Diego , de Deus Fonticoba Teresa , Jesús Silvia , Cosgaya Marina , García Caldentey Juan , Caballol Nuria , Legarda Ines , Hernández Vara Jorge , Cabo Iria , López Manzanares Lydia , González Aramburu Isabel , Ávila Rivera Maria A. , Gómez Mayordomo Víctor , Nogueira Víctor , Dotor García-Soto Julio , Borrué Carmen , Solano Vila Berta , Álvarez Sauco María , Vela Lydia , Escalante Sonia , Cubo Esther , Mendoza Zebenzui , Pareés Isabel , Sánchez Alonso Pilar , Alonso Losada Maria G. , López Ariztegui Nuria , Gastón Itziar , Kulisevsky Jaime , Seijo Manuel , Valero Caridad , Alonso Redondo Ruben , Ordás Carlos , Menéndez-González Manuel , McAfee Darrian , Martinez-Martin Pablo , Mir Pablo ,   COPPADIS Study Group, Adarmes A. D. , Almeria M. , Alonso Losada M. G. , Alonso Cánovas A. , Alonso Frech F. , Alonso Redondo R. , Álvarez I. , Álvarez Sauco M. , Aneiros Díaz A. , Arnáiz S. , Arribas S. , Ascunce Vidondo A. , Aguilar M. , Ávila M. A. , Bernardo Lambrich N. , Bejr-Kasem H. , Blázquez Estrada M. , Botí M. , Borrue C. , Buongiorno M. T. , Cabello González C. , Cabo López I. , Caballol N. , Cámara Lorenzo A. , Canfield Medina H. , Carabajal Pendón E. , Carrillo F. , Carrillo Padilla F. J. , Casas E. , Catalán M. J. , Clavero P. , Cortina Fernández A. , Cosgaya M. , Cots Foraster A. , Crespo Cuevas A. , Cubo E. , de Deus Fonticoba T. , de Fábregues-Boixar O. , Díez-Fairen M. , Dotor García-Soto J. , Erro E. , Escalante S. , Estelrich Peyret E. , Fernández Guillán N. , Gámez P. , Gallego M. , García Caldentey J. , García Campos C. , García Díez C. , García Moreno J. M. , Gastón I. , Gómez Garre M. P. , Gómez Mayordomo V. , González Aloy J. , González-Aramburu I. , González Ardura J. , González García B. , González Palmás M. J. , González Toledo G. R. , Golpe Díaz A. , Grau Solá M. , Guardia G. , Hernández Vara J. , Horta-Barba A. , Idoate Calderón D. , Infante J. , Jesús S. , Kulisevsky J. , Kurtis M. , Labandeira C. , Labrador M. A. , Lacruz F. , Lage Castro M. , Lastres Gómez S. , Legarda I. , López Ariztegui N. , López Díaz L. M. , López Domínguez D. , López Manzanares L. , López Seoane B. , del Lucas Pozo S. , Macías Y. , Mata M. , Martí Andres G. , Martí M. J. , Martínez Castrillo J. C. , Martinez-Martin P. , McAfee D. , Meitín M. T. , Mendoza Plasencia Z. , Menéndez González M. , Méndez del Barrio C. , Mir P. , Miranda Santiago J. , Morales Casado M. I. , Moreno Diéguez A. , Muro García I. , Nogueira V. , Novo Amado A. , Novo Ponte S. , Ordás C. , Pagonabarraga J. , Pareés I. , Pascual-Sedano B. , Pastor P. , Pérez Fuertes A. , Pérez Noguera R. , Planas-Ballvé A. , Planellas L. , Prats M. A. , Prieto Jurczynska C. , Puente V. , Pueyo Morlans M. , Puig Daví A. , Redondo Rafales N. , Rodríguez Méndez L. , Rodríguez Pérez A. B. , Roldán F. , Ruíz De Arcos M. , Ruíz Martínez J. , Sánchez Alonso P. , Sánchez-Carpintero M. , Sánchez Díez G. , Sánchez Rodríguez A. , Santacruz P. , Santos García D. , Segundo Rodríguez J. C. , Seijo M. , Sierra Peña M. , Solano Vila B. , Suárez Castro E. , Tartari J. P. , Valero C. , Vargas L. , Vela L. , Villanueva C. , Vives B. 
Published: February 2025

Background and objective

Dysphagia at time of diagnosis suggests atypical parkinsonism instead Parkinson´s disease (PD). Our aim was to analyze the frequency of dysphagia in patients with early PD comparing with a control group and to identify related factors.

Patients and methods

Patients with early PD (≤ 2 years from symptoms onset) who were recruited from January/2016 to November/2017 (baseline visit; V0) and evaluated annually for 5 years from the Spanish cohort COPPADIS were included in this prospective study. Controls were assessed at baseline and at 2-, 4-, and 5-year follow-up. Dysphagia was defined as a score ≥ 1 in the item 20 of the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS).

Results

Dysphagia was more frequent at baseline in PD patients (19.6% [36/184]; 62.3 ± 8.3 years old; 56.8% males) than in controls (5.3% [11/206]; 60.9 ± 8.3 years old; 50% males) (p < 0.0001) and in all visits as well (p < 0.0001). A worse quality of sleep (Parkinson´s Disease Sleep Scale; OR = 0.974; p = 0.005), a greater impulse-control behavior (ICB) (Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale; OR = 1.066; p = 0.014), and non-motor symptoms burden (Non-Motor Symptoms Scale; OR = 1.016; p = 0.021) were independent factors associated with dysphagia at baseline. In those subjects with dysphagia, no differences were observed between patients and controls in the mean NMSS-item 20 overtime, and it didn´t change throughout the follow-up.

Conclusion

Dysphagia was frequent in early PD patients compared to controls. However, it was minor and did not progress over time. Sleep, ICB, and non-motor symptoms burden were related to dysphagia.