Dysphagia in progressive supranuclear palsy: A scoping review

Introduction: One of the most prevalent types of atypical parkinsonian syndrome is progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). PSP is associated with early onset of dysphagia which can result in malnutrition, dehydration, and aspiration pneumonia, affecting quality of life and increasing mortality rate. To date, research describing dysphagia in PSP and its impact is scant.

Methods: The objective of this scoping review is to determine the characteristics of dysphagia in PSP, differences in dysphagia presentation according to PSP subtype, principal methods used for identifying and diagnosing dysphagia and the impact dysphagia has on quality of life in individuals with PSP. This review was conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology. Six electronic databases were searched.

Results: Of the 20 studies included, the most frequently reported characteristics of dysphagia were oral preparatory and oral phase difficulties. A variety of methods were used to identify and diagnose dysphagia including instrumental assessment (65%), patient reported scales (45%) and clinical swallow evaluation (20%). The most used instrumental assessment was videofluoroscopy (46%). Limited data was available describing characteristics of dysphagia according to the subtype of PSP. The impact that dysphagia has on quality of life was assessed in only one study.

Conclusion: A range of assessment methods are used to identify and diagnose dysphagia in patients with PSP. Further research is needed to investigate if particular characteristics are associated with certain PSP subtypes. Future studies should also measure the impact that dysphagia has on quality of life in this population.