Parkinson’s patients test gum to help swallowing

Researchers in southwestern Ontario are trying to determine if chewing gum will ease swallowing problems among people with Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson's is a degenerative nerve disease that affects more than 100,000 Canadians, and can cause swallowing difficulty as the disease progresses, according to the Parkinson Society Canada.
That's because Parkinson's symptoms such as tremor, stiffness and slow movements can affect the mechanisms used in speaking and swallowing, said neurologist and researcher Dr. Mandar Jog of the London Health Sciences Centre.
Early research points to improved swallowing among Parkinson's patients who chew gum several hours a day. Chewing is a form of exercise for the mouth. The researchers think that having gum in the mouth and chewing it may help to train Parkinson's patients to also move their tongues while eating and swallowing.
"Gum acts like sensory cue to train the system," said Jog, who is also director of the Movement Disorders Centre. Other types of training have helped people with Parkinson's. For example, when lights are placed in front of patients, the visual cue seems to help them improve their gait, Jog said. Now the team is investigating how long the benefits of gum chewing last.

For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org