[Awareness of dysphagia in Parkinson's disease].

Introduction And Aim: In order to be able to assess the level of awareness of swallowing disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD), a specific questionnaire was designed and validated: the Dysphapark questionnaire.

Patients And Methods: A total of 470 persons with PD were asked whether they believe they have problems swallowing or not, and then they filled in a self-administered questionnaire that evaluates the effectiveness and safety of swallowing. The Dysphapark questionnaire was validated by means of Rasch analysis and classical psychometric methods.

Blind randomized controlled study of the efficacy of cognitive training in Parkinson's disease.

The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of a cognitive training program on cognitive performance and quality of life in nondemented Parkinson's disease patients. Participants who met UK Brain Bank diagnosis criteria for Parkinson's disease, with I-III Hoehn & Yahr, aged 50-80, and nondemented (Mini-Mental State Examination ≥ 23) were recruited. Patient's cognitive performance and functional and quality-of-life measures were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests and scales at baseline and after 4 weeks.