SwallowFit

SwallowFit: An exercise program and randomized clinical trial designed for US service members, veterans, and families affected by Parkinson's Disease

Why we are doing this study

Parkinson's is the second most common neurogenerative disease in the world. More than 80% of people with Parkinson's will develop problems swallowing at some point in the course of their disease. The medical term for a swallow problem is dysphagia. The leading cause of death in Parkinson's is aspiration, which is a complication of dysphagia. Problems with swallowing actually begin before a person with Parkinson's may realize there is a problem

Goal of the Study

To learn if a proactive swallow exercise will help to improve swallow fitness in patients with Parkinson's disease. Pilot data from a small study about SwallowFit showed that completing the program helped people with Parkinson's improve their swallow strength and coordination, improve confidence while eating and drinking, and have fewer choking and coughing episodes. Even those who didn't think they had a problem were able to make measurable improvements. This means that as their disease continues to progress, they can maintain their swallow function and quality of life for longer.

Aim of the Study

To assess how effective this exercise is and to measure the change in swallowing fitness from the beginning to the end of the study. The pilot study was only with a few people. We want to see if the program works with many people. Our goal is to recruit 80 people. Forty of those will receive the treatment and be compared with the 40 who didn't. At the end of the study, those who did not receive the treatment will be able to if they would like.

What will happen in the study

Patients will have 6 weeks of twice-weekly SwallowFIT training. Patients who are given the exercise training will be compared to participants who are treated using the usual standard treatment. Participants must be active or retired military or immediate family members of military. Participants need to be able to access Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio with their military ID for appointments with members of the research team. Treatment will take place at UT Health Science Center in the Medical Center in San Antonio.