Orofacial myofunctional assessment and quality of life of individuals with Parkinson's disease

• Published in: Special care in dentistry Vol. 43; no. 4; p. 425
• Main Authors: de Araújo, Sílvia Regina Siqueira, Castelo, Paula Midori, Said, Angélica de Veiga, Fernandes, João Paulo Santos, Neves, Carolina Ribeiro, Diaféria, Giovana Lúcia Azevedo, Bommarito, Silvana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Parkinson's disease; facial muscles; quality of life; posture
• ISSN: 1754-4505
• DOI: 10.1111/scd.12787

To characterize orofacial myofunctional structures of elders with Parkinson's disease (PD) and examine the relationship with the stages of PD, pharmacotherapy, and quality of life. PD Group with 45 elders and a control group (CG) of 10 healthy elders of both sexes were included (60-86 years). Structured interviews, medical records, and clinical examination gathered information on health aspects such as the use of drugs, Hoehn & Yahr stages 1-4, and oral health status. The Mini-Mental State Examination, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire, and Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Scores for Elders were applied. Better oral health status was found in participants diagnosed as Hoehn & Yahr stage 1 compared to the later stages. OMES-Elders scores for appearance/posture, mobility, breathing, and speech functions were different between groups, and decreased overall OMES-Elders was observed across the Hoehn & Yahr stages. A higher number of masticatory cycles was required for chewing and ingestion of the test food in the PD group compared to CG (p < .05). Significant differences were found in the mobility and daily living activities domains and an overall score of QoL between the Hoehn & Yahr stages 1 and 4, and worst orofacial functioning was accompanied by the worst self-perception of QoL in the communication domain (rho = -0.32; p = .034). The use of xerogenic drugs did not affect the OMES-Elders swallowing domain. Worse dental condition and performance of orofacial functions was observed in the elders with PD as the disease progresses, and poorer orofacial performance negatively affects their perception of communication skills.