Study of the Link Between Freezing of Gait and Oropharyngeal Freezing in Parkinson's Patients

Parkinson's Disease: Study of the Link Between Gait Freezing and Oropharyngeal Freezing Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Parkinsonian dysphagia is a frequently encountered disorder in this condition, affecting all phases of swallowing: oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal. This dysphagia can occur at any stage of the disease. While most swallowing difficulties develop in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease, they can also appear early on and are often underdiagnosed. The prevalence of swallowing disorders in Parkinson's disease is estimated to range from 40% to 80%, with this variability explained by the significant differences in the precision of swallowing evaluations conducted and the fact that dysphagia is still too frequently underdiagnosed. Yet, dysphagia is the leading cause of mortality in Parkinson's patients. Dysphagia can negatively affect patients' quality of life. It leads to difficulties during oral intake (food, liquids, and medications), weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition, and limitations in social activities. Depression is frequently associated with reduced quality of life in Parkinson's patients with swallowing disorders. Moreover, aspiration pneumonia due to mis-swallowing is one of the primary reasons for hospitalization in Parkinson's patients, potentially leading to severe complications and, at times, death. Oropharyngeal freezing, also called oral festination, is an involuntary, repetitive anteroposterior movement of the tongue against the soft palate performed before transferring the food bolus to the pharynx. This movement is also observed during multiple swallows. This phenomenon is more frequent in dysphagic Parkinson's patients, yet its impact on swallowing dynamics remains poorly understood. Oropharyngeal freezing has been observed in approximately 40% to 75% of Parkinson's patients during videofluoroscopic swallow studies, also known as swallowing pharyngography. Oropharyngeal f