[Sialorrhea in patients with Parkinson. A six year prospective study]

Abstract

Introduction: The sialorrhea has been recognised as one of the manifestations of Parkinson's disease, with a frequency of up to 80%. The evolution of patients with sialorrhea is unknown.

Patients and methods: We study 26 male and 17 female patients with Parkinson's disease and sialorrhea.

Results: Evaluation at three years showed that sialorrhea had persisting in 18 of them, at six years showed that persisted in 8 patients. We found significant impairment in the sialorrhea group.

Conclusion: If we accept the principle, that sialorrhea are levodopa-resistant disorders as non nigrostriatal symptoms, secondary to a diffuser and more extended cerebral stem degeneration, we could assume that in these patients with sialorrhea cortical-sub cortical circuits are more widely involved leading to motor and cognitive impairment and depression.