Pharyngeal Area Changes in Parkinson’s Disease and Its Effect on Swallowing Safety, Efficiency, and Kinematics

Pharyngeal area can increase as a function of normal healthy aging and muscle atrophy. These increases in pharyngeal area can negatively affect swallowing function in healthy older adults (HOA). However, the presence of pharyngeal area changes and their effects on swallowing function in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain unknown. Therefore, we compared the pharyngeal area of people with PD to HOA to determine if pharyngeal area changes were present...