Dysphagia in Huntington's disease
N. A. Leopold and M. C. Kagel
Dysphagia is a common complication of Huntington's disease (HD) that is
frequently responsible for the potentially lethal respiratory events of
aspiration or asphyxiation. Twelve patients who had HD and a history of
dysphagia underwent extensive multidisciplinary clinical examinations. All
of the patients, regardless of the clinical severity of their disease,
demonstrated impaired control of many voluntary aspects of food intake that
affected swallowing efficiency. Abnormalities of the rate of food
consumption, mastication, bolus transfer, respiration, and swallow
initiation seem to be responsible for most dysphagic symptoms in HD. Less
prominent abnormalities of the pharyngoesophageal phases of ingestion were
also noted. Dysphagia therapy was initiated in 11 of 12 patients. All of
the patients' conditions improved; a majority (8/11) of the patients
returned to an unrestricted diet. This improvement persisted for as long as
three years, while other clinical features of HD intensified.
