Pink1 -/- Rats Show Early-Onset Swallowing Deficits and Correlative Brainstem Pathology.

Parkinson disease (PD) compromises oropharyngeal swallowing, which negatively affects quality of life and contributes to aspiration pneumonia. Dysphagia often begins early in the disease process, and does not improve with standard therapies. As a result, swallowing deficits are undertreated in the PD population.

Characterization of early-onset motor deficits in the Pink1-/- mouse model of Parkinson disease.

In Parkinson disease (PD), a complex neurodegenerative disorder that affects nearly 10 million people worldwide, motor skills are significantly impaired. However, onset and progression of motor deficits and the neural correlates of these deficits are poorly understood. We used a genetic mouse model of PD (Pink1-/-), with phenotypic similarities to human PD, to investigate the manifestation of early-onset sensorimotor deficits.

Vocal training, levodopa, and environment effects on ultrasonic vocalizations in a rat neurotoxin model of Parkinson disease.

Levodopa does not improve dysarthria in patients with Parkinson Disease (PD), although vocal exercise therapy, such as "LSVT/LOUD(®)", does improve vocal communication. Most patients receive vocal exercise therapy while concurrently being treated with levodopa, although the interaction between levodopa and vocal exercise therapy on communication in PD is relatively unknown. Further, carryover of vocal exercise therapy to novel situations is critical for successful outcomes, but the influence of novel situations on rehabilitated vocal communication is not well understood.