Parkinsonism associated with laryngeal spasm.

Pathophysiology of Motor Speech Disorders (Dysarthria)

“…It has been reported in the literature that parkinson subjects may develop laryngeal pa ralysis in the course of their disease [Vas et al, 1965;Plasse and Lieberman, 1981]. In these reports, however, the diagnosis of la ryngeal paralysis was simply made by obser vation under conventional laryngoscopy.…”

An Aerodynamic Study of Phonations in Patients With Parkinson Disease (PD)

“…51,52 In those reports, however, the diagnosis of laryngeal paralysis was simply made by observation of laryngeal movements under conventional laryngoscopy, and no electromyographic (EMG) examination was performed to confirm the existence of neurogenic paralysis. In our previous studies, 53,54 we made an EMG study of a PD case who showed very limited vocal fold movements under laryngoscopic examination, and we observed persistent EMG firings in the thyroarytenoid muscle during the period of inspiration in which the thyroarytenoid activity should be suppressed in normal cases.…”

Stridor in Parkinson's disease: a case of ‘dry drowning’?

“…25 Only five cases of Parkinson's disease with stridor secondary to laryngospasm have been described in the literature. 11,12,16,18 As with bilateral vocal fold paralysis, laryngospasm in Parkinson's disease is likely to be centrally mediated via the basal ganglia and nucleus ambiguus. Vas et al postulated a mechanism similar to that causing proximal oesophageal spasm, which also occurs in Parkinson's disease.…”

“…Vas et al postulated a mechanism similar to that causing proximal oesophageal spasm, which also occurs in Parkinson's disease. 11 As the laryngeal and oesophageal musculature both come under the influence of the basal ganglia and nucleus ambiguus, disease involving these nuclei may lead to laryngeal spasm in the same manner that it causes oesophageal spasm. Vas and colleagues observed alleviation of both Parkinsonism and stridor in one of their patients following administration of intravenous methylphenidate, supporting the theory of a common origin for the two phenomena.…”