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.