Report of a speech therapy protocol for treating dysphagia in patients with Parkinson's disease

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to report the evaluation of the effects of a speech therapy protocol on swallowing rehabilitation in an 82-year-old male patient diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. This protocol comprises a variety of exercises, such as blowing with SHAKER, use of RESPIRON, exercises with syringes of different volumes, emission of vowels "i" and "u," and semi-occluded vocal tract maneuvers. In the pre- and post-intervention evaluation, data related to swallowing were recorded, including stasis in the oral cavity, oral transit time, number of swallows, and vocal quality. Post-intervention data revealed significant improvements in the patient's swallowing. The therapy contributed to eliminating stasis in the oral cavity, reducing the number of swallows, improving oral transit time, and improving vocal quality, thus indicating the efficiency and effectiveness of this new protocol.