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The dysphagia that occurs as an early sign of progressive supranuclear palsy(PSP),and which may predispose patients to aspiration of pneumonia has never been fully characterized.We evaluated 27 patients(mean+/-SEM: age,64.9+/-1 years;symptom duration,52+/-5 months)who met the clinical National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Society for PSP(NINDS-SPSP)criteria for possible or probable PSP,with a swallowing questionnaire,an oral motor and speech examination,and either a modified barium swallow or ultrasound studies.The swallowing questionnaire,oral motor examination and speech production examination accurately predicted the abnormalities detected with the swallowing studies.While 75%of patients had abnormal speech,all but one had abnormal swallowing studies. Thus,although dysphagia is associated with dysarthria,the two conditions are not always paired in the same patient.Our results suggest that the swallowing questionnaire and oral motor examination are an easy and cost effective method to predict the swallowing disturbances in PSP. |
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