Cut-Off Value of Voluntary Peak Cough Flow in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease and Its Association with Severe Dysphagia: A Retrospective Pilot Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives. Swallowing and coughing reflexes are both closely associated with airway protection. Peak cough flow (PCF) is associated with dysphagia in several neurogenic diseases. In this study, we aimed to analyze the relationship between PCF and aspiration in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and determine the cut-off value of PCF. Materials and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients with PD who underwent a videofluoroscopic swallowing study and checked for PCF. A total of 219 patients were divided into an aspiration group (n = 125) and a non-aspiration group (n = 94). Results. Significantly lower PCF values were observed in the aspiration group compared to the non-aspiration group (132.63 ± 83.62 vs. 181.38 ± 103.92 L/min, p Conclusions. Through a multivariate analysis, we demonstrated that a PCF value ≤153 L/min was associated with an increased risk of aspiration (odds ratio 3.648; 1.797–7.407), highlighting that a low PCF is a risk factor for aspiration in patients with PD.

Keywords

• Parkinson’s disease
• aspiration
• dysphagia
• peak cough flow