Parkinson's disease can cause problems with swallowing at any stage of the disease because of movement dysfunctions. Despite various symptoms, normally the initial swallowing alterations associated with Parkinson's Disease go undiagnosed and can damage quality of life. However, instruments for assessing the effects of quality of life in dysphagia are yet to be studied systematically. The objective of this systematic review was to analyze the adequacy of the Dysphagia's Quality of Life questionnaire in assessing Parkinson's disease. Articles examining both men and women were included, whereas those assessing treatment or that examined patients with Parkinsonism, or another form of disease, were excluded. Thirty articles were included after searches through Bireme, Pubmed and Capes' Databank of Theses. The Jadad Scale was used to assess them, with some modifications. Both articles showed that the Dysphagia's Quality of Life questionnaire is a secure and relevant instrument for assessing Parkinsonian swallowing alterations, except during sleep. Besides, it can indicate a general quality of life understanding. Thus, the use of the questionnaire helped assess quality of life in dysphagia in Parkinson's disease subjects.
Parkinson Disease; Quality of Life; Deglutition; Deglutition Disorders; Scales
