Positron emission tomography neuroimaging of [F]fluorodeoxyglucose uptake and related behavior in the -/- rat model of Parkinson disease.

Introduction: Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition affecting multiple sensorimotor and cognitive systems. The rat model exhibits vocal, cognitive, and limb use deficits seen in idiopathic PD. We sought to measure glucose metabolism in brain regions in and wild type (WT) rats, and to associate these to measures of ultrasonic vocalization, cognition, and limb use behavior.

Vocal and tongue exercise in early to mid-stage Parkinson disease using the Pink1-/- rat.

Vocal and swallowing deficits are common in Parkinson disease (PD). Because these impairments are resistant to dopamine replacement therapies, vocal and lingual exercise are the primary treatment, but not all individuals respond to exercise and neural mechanisms of treatment response are unclear. To explore putative mechanisms, we used the progressive Pink1-/- rat model of early to mid-stage PD and employed vocal and lingual exercises at 6- and 10-months of age in male Pink1-/- and wild type (WT) rats.

Early ultrasonic vocalization deficits and related thyroarytenoid muscle pathology in the transgenic TgF344-AD rat model of Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurologic disease and the most common cause of dementia. Classic pathology in AD is characterized by inflammation, abnormal presence of tau protein, and aggregation of β-amyloid that disrupt normal neuronal function and lead to cell death. Deficits in communication also occur during disease progression and significantly reduce health, well-being, and quality of life.

Tongue and laryngeal exercises improve tongue strength and vocal function outcomes in a Pink1-/- rat model of early Parkinson disease.

Parkinson disease (PD) causes voice and swallow dysfunction even in early stages of the disease. Treatment of this dysfunction is limited, and the neuropathology underlying this dysfunction is poorly defined. Targeted exercise provides the greatest benefit for offsetting voice and swallow dysfunction, and previous data suggest the hypoglossal nucleus and noradrenergic-locus coeruleus (LC) may be involved in its early pathology.

Dysphagia in Parkinson Disease: Part I - Pathophysiology and Diagnostic Practices.

Purpose Of Review: Dysphagia affects the majority of individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) and is not typically diagnosed until later in disease progression. This review will cover the current understanding of PD pathophysiology, and provides an overview of dysphagia in PD including diagnostic practices, gaps in knowledge, and future directions.

Recent Findings: Many non-motor and other motor signs of PD appear in the prodrome prior to the manifestation of hall- mark signs and diagnosis.