Clinical guideline addressing diagnosis and outpatient management of dysphagia in Parkinson's disease, recommending targeted history, FEES, and individualized multidisciplinary treatment (speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational and respiratory therapy, nutritional support).

While it offers limited mechanistic or drug-discovery insight, the guideline is valuable for therapeutic development because dysphagia impacts medication delivery, morbidity/mortality (aspiration pneumonia), and provides actionable clinical endpoints and care pathways relevant to symptomatic…

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by progressive degeneration of the central nervous system. Up to 80% of patients suffer from dysphagia, which can affect all phases of the swallowing process. In addition to a reduced quality of life, serious complications such as malnutrition, dehydration, and aspiration pneumonia occur, which significantly increase morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization. Pneumonia is the most common cause of death in PD. In addition, problems swallowing pills can impair the effectiveness of PD medications. As it is rarely noticed or spontaneously reported by those affected, it is essential to diagnose dysphagia through a targeted medical history and clinical examination, supplemented by instrumental procedures such as fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Treatment should be provided early and individually, with the focus on speech therapy supported by physiotherapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, and nutritional advice.