ALIMENTARY DISORDER IN PARKINSONISM

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Abstract
Summary: The alimentary symptoms found in 107 consecutive cases of Parkinsonism have been compared with those found in 96 control subjects. Chewing difficulty, drooling of saliva, dysphagia, frequent heartburn and constipation all occurred significantly more often in Parkinsonism than in controls, and of these symptoms only the incidences of dysphagia and heartburn did not correlate with increasing disability from Parkinsonism. There was relatively little correlation between alimentary symptoms and ætiological type of Parkinsonism, though chewing difficulty occurred particularly in Parkinsonism following encephalitis lethargica, and constipation in paralysis agitans. The alimentary symptoms of Parkinsonism may be due to dorsal vagal nuclear and basal ganglia lesions, and to side effects of drug therapy.

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