The Impact of Deep Brain Stimulation on Speech and Swallow Function in Parkinson Disease

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · Jun 10, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how a type of surgery called deep brain stimulation (DBS) affects speech, swallowing, and coughing in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). DBS is a treatment that helps control symptoms like tremors and movement problems by sending electrical signals to specific parts of the brain. The study aims to understand whether the location of these signals in the brain makes a difference in how well people can speak, swallow safely, and cough effectively after surgery. These functions are important because they impact quality of life and health, and currently, doctors don’t have enough information to guide decisions about which brain area to target during DBS surgery based on these concerns.

People who may be eligible for this study have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease by a neurologist and are approved for DBS surgery but have not had DBS before. They should have mild to moderate problems with voice or swallowing. The study excludes people with other neurological conditions, severe mental health issues, or certain medical histories like cancer or chronic cough. Participants will be asked to complete tests that measure their voice, swallowing, and cough before and after the surgery, and the researchers will compare these results to see how DBS affects these functions. This research hopes to help doctors choose the best DBS approach to protect communication and breathing safety for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Diagnosis of idiopathic (non-genetic/familial) PD made by fellowship-trained neurologist by applying strict UK brain bank criteria
• • Hoehn \& Yahr staging I - IV
• • Approved for DBS surgery to either STN or GPi, with NO existing DBS electrodes.
• • Mild or moderate voice / swallow problems
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Neurological disorder(s) other than PD (including essential tremor) Severe neuropsychological dysfunction, unstable psychiatric disease at the discretion of the treating neurologist/psychiatrist (i.e., severe depression) or moderate to severe cognitive impairment.
• History of:
• • Head, neck, or lung cancer (except minor squamous cell skin cancers)
• • Structural, functional, or neurologic voice disorder unrelated to PD
• • Chronic refractory cough
• • Bleeding disorder