Effect of Elevation Training Mask on Swallowing Function in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease

To evaluate the impact of the elevation training mask (ETM) on swallowing safety and swallowing efficiency in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PWP) when used as a respiratory muscle strengthening tool. Study Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Tertiary university-affiliated medical center. Thirteen PWP underwent Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing and spirometry assessments both before and after a 4-week ETM use, which included incrementally increasing resistance each week. Measurements taken included EAT-10, swallowing disturbances questionnaire (SDQ), Penetration Aspiration Score (PAS), Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale, and Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF). Disease severity was assessed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Eleven out of 13 male participants (median age 70 years, UPDRS 33, disease duration 8.5 years) completed the 4-week protocol (84.6% completion rate). Vallecular residue significantly decreased for solids (median from 3.0 [IQR: 2.0–3.0] to 2.0 [IQR: 1.0–2.0], p = 0.028) and semi-solids (from 3.0 [IQR: 2.0–4.0] to 2.0 [IQR: 1.0–3.0], p = 0.025), with a non-significant improvement for liquids (from 2.0 [IQR: 2.0–2.0] to 2.0 [IQR: 1.0–2.0], p = 0.19). Patient-reported outcomes (EAT-10, SDQ, VHI-10, RSI) and PEF showed non-significant trends toward improvement. A 4-week use of ETM, serving as a form of respiratory muscle strengthening, demonstrated specific improvements in vallecular residue for semi-solid and solid consistencies in PWP with dysphagia. While other swallowing and respiratory measures showed positive trends, these changes did not reach statistical significance. Further research with a larger cohort is needed to evaluate ETM’s role in swallowing rehabilitation.