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Dysphagi in Huntington's disease: A 16-year retrospective

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Abstract

Degenerative diseases of the basal ganglia are commonly complicated by dysphagia. In 35 patients with Huntington's disease (HD), a hereditary neurodegenerative basal ganglia disease characterized by chorea, dementia, and emotional changes, an extensive battery of clinical and radiologic procedures helped to identify numerous abnormalities of deglutition. The results permitted the classification of our patients with HD into hyperkinetic (HD-h) or rigid-bradykinetic (HD-rb) groups. Although the two groups share multiple abnormalities, statistically significant intergroup differences were observed. Clincial assessmen of the HD-h cohort (30 patients) demonstrated rapid lingual chorea, swallow incoordination repetitive swallows, prolonged laryngeal elevation, inability to stop respiration and frequent eructations. In the HD-rb group (five patients), frequently observed abnormalities included mandibular rigidity, slow lingual chorea, coughing on foods, and choking on liquids. Videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) using a variety of barium-impregnated, foods and liquids confirmed the abnormalities noted on the clinical assessment. Respiratory and laryngeal chorea, pharyngeal space retention, and aspiration were also identified. Numerous compensatory techniques introduced during videofluoroscopy benefited all patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Divisions of Speech/Language Pathology, Crozer-Chester, Medical Center, Upland, POB #2, Suite 222, 19013, Chester, PA, USA

    Marion C. Kagel M.A.

  2. Department of Neurology, Hahnemann University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Norman A. Leopold D.O.

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  1. Marion C. Kagel M.A.
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  2. Norman A. Leopold D.O.
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Kagel, M.C., Leopold, N.A. Dysphagi in Huntington's disease: A 16-year retrospective. Dysphagia 7, 106–114 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02493441

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