Biomechanical Effects of EMST® on Swallowing Function in Parkinson's Disease

NCT07606547 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2025-447-f-S
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aim of this non-randomized intervention study is to investigate the detailed effects of a structured four-week EMST® training program on the biomechanics of swallowing function in dysphagic Parkinson's patients. A combination of fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and pharyngeal high-resolution manometry (HRM) will be employed to comprehensively evaluate the neuromuscular changes in swallowing.

Conditions

Dysphagia; Parkinson's Disease (PD)

Keywords

Dysphagia; Expiratory muscle strength training; Parkinson's Disease; High-resolution pharyngeal manometry

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Effect on swallowing biomechanics in pharyngeal high-resolution manometry as assessed by measurement of e.g. Pharyngeal contractile Integral (PhcI)

  metrics of pharyngeal contraction and upper esophageal sphinkter opening in high-resolution pharyngeal manometry

  1 month and 3 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Pharyngeal swallowing safety and efficiency as assessed with fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) applying DIGEST-FEES scoring

  1 month and 3 months

Study Arms (1)

EMST treatment

EXPERIMENTAL

daily EMST training on 5 days a week for 1 month

Device: exspiratory muscle strength training

Interventions

exspiratory muscle strength training DEVICE

5 sets of 5 breaths with EMST per day, 5 days a week for 1 month

Also known as: EMST

EMST treatment

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• diagnosis of Parkinson's disease,
• PD-related dysphagia as objectively diagnosed with FEES

You may not qualify if:

• severe dementia, not able to give consent
• dysphagia related to other diagnoses

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital Muenster: lead

Study Sites (1)

University Hospital Münster, Department of Neurology

Münster, 48149, Germany

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parkinson Disease; Deglutition Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Parkinsonian Disorders; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Movement Disorders; Synucleinopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Esophageal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Pharyngeal Diseases; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases

Study Officials

• Sonja Suntrup-Krueger, Prof. Dr. med.

  University Hospital Münster, Department of Neurology, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, A1, 48149 Münster, Germany

  STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Sonja Suntrup-Krueger, Prof. Dr. med.

CONTACT

+49251-83-46811; sonja.suntrup-krueger@ukmuenster.de

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2026
• First Posted: May 26, 2026
• Study Start: June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2028
• Last Updated: June 3, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

DE (1)