Esophageal dysfunction in different stages of Parkinson's disease

• Published in: Neurogastroenterology and motility 2017-01, Vol.29 (1), p.np-n/a
• Main Authors: Suttrup, I., Suttrup, J., Suntrup‐Krueger, S., Siemer, M.‐L., Bauer, J., Hamacher, C., Oelenberg, S., Domagk, D., Dziewas, R., Warnecke, T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Deglutition - physiology; Deglutition Disorders - diagnosis; Deglutition Disorders - epidemiology; Deglutition Disorders - physiopathology; Disease Progression; Dysphagia; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal - methods; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal - trends; Enteric nervous system; esophageal dysphagia; Esophageal Motility Disorders - diagnosis; Esophageal Motility Disorders - epidemiology; Esophageal Motility Disorders - physiopathology; Esophagus; FEES; Female; high‐resolution manometry; Humans; Male; Manometry - methods; Manometry - trends; Middle Aged; Motor task performance; Movement disorders; Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson Disease - diagnosis; Parkinson Disease - epidemiology; Parkinson Disease - physiopathology; Parkinson's disease; Peristalsis; Pharynx; Quality of Life; Retrospective Studies; Swallowing
• ISSN: 1350-1925; 1365-2982
• DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12915

Background Dysphagia is a clinically relevant symptom in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) leading to pronounced reduction in quality of life and other severe complications. Parkinson's disease‐related dysphagia may affect the oral and pharyngeal, as well as the esophageal phase of swallowing. Methods To examine the nature and extend of esophageal dysphagia in different stages of PD and their relation to oropharyngeal dysfunction, we examined 65 PD patients (mean age 66.3±9.7 years, mean disease duration 7.9±5.8 years, mean Hoehn & Yahr [H&Y] stage 2.89±0.91) and divided into three groups (early [H&Y I+II; n=21], intermediate [H&Y III; n=25], and advanced stadium [H&Y IV+V; n=19]), using esophageal high‐resolution manometry (HRM) to detect esophageal motor disorders. Oropharyngeal impairment was assessed using fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. Key Results Major esophageal motor disorders were detected in nearly one third of the PD patients. Minor impairment of the esophageal body was present in 95% of participants and throughout all disease stages with pathological findings especially in peristalsis and intrabolus pressure (IBP). The IBP was found to significantly increase in the advanced stadium. Although dysfunction of the upper and lower esophageal sphincters was observed in individual patients, alterations in these esophageal segments revealed no statistical significance compared with normative data. No clear association was found between the occurrence of oropharyngeal dysphagia and esophageal impairment. Conclusions & Inferences Esophageal body impairment in PD is a frequent phenomenon during all disease stages, which possibly reflects α‐synucleinopathy in the enteric nervous system. In patients with Parkinson's disease, esophageal motor impairment seems to be a widespread affection occurring during all stages of the disease. Using high‐resolution manometry, for the first time, a detailed description of occurrence and patterns of esophageal impairment was possible. Our findings indicate an early involvement of alpha‐synucleinopathy in the enteric nervous system of the tubular esophagus.