Back to search results

Rehabilitation for Airway Protection in Parkinson's Disease

This study is looking at ways to improve airway protection (swallowing and coughing) in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD). It's testing two interventions: Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST) and Cough Skill Training. EMST uses a device to strengthen breathing muscles. The study wants to see if these treatments work as well when delivered through telehealth (online) as they do in person. You might be able to join if you are 50 to 90 years old, have been diagnosed with PD (Hoehn and Yahr Stages II-IV), and have problems with airway protection. Success will be measured by changes in your cough strength (Peak Expiratory Flow Rate) and how well you swallow (Penetration-Aspiration Scale) after four weeks of training and then one year later. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 120 participants. It will compare the effectiveness of treatments delivered in-person versus via telehealth.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your cough strength will be measured after four weeks of training and again one year later. Your swallowing will be measured after four weeks of training.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT05700825

Rehabilitation of Airway Protection in Parkinson's Disease

Recruiting
PHASE2Ages 50–90InterventionalTreatment
Teachers College, Columbia University
~120 participants
Updated 2025-09-24 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Expiratory Muscle Strength Training + Cough Skill Training

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (Cough PEFR) - phase 1
Measured over Pretraining to posttraining (after four weeks of intensive training)
+3 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Parkinson Disease
Dysphagia

Explore related trials

DysphagiaParkinson Disease

Where it's being run

2 sites across 2 states
Indiana1
New York1

Study leadership

  • Michelle Troche, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Teachers College, Columbia University

Who to contact

Michelle Troche, PhD
[email protected]
212-678-3072
Email the study team

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Do you actually qualify for this trial?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Diagnosed with PD (Hoehn and Yahr Stages II-IV)126,127 confirmed by a Movement Disorders fellowship trained neurologist having reviewed the video recorded Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) assessment for each participant and using strict UK brain bank criteria
airway protective deficits as defined as a minimum of penetration of thin liquids (penetration-aspiration score\>3) as determined by instrumental swallowing assessment and/or dystussia as determined by voluntary cough assessment (PEFR ≤4.1 L/s)
not actively receiving exercise-based swallowing therapy
between the ages of 50 and 90.

Exclusion

Other neurological disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis, stroke, brain tumor, etc.)
history of head and neck cancer
history of breathing disorders or diseases (e.g., COPD)
history of smoking in the last five years
uncontrolled hypertension
difficulty complying due to neuropsychological dysfunction (i.e., severe depression with \>28 on the Beck Depression Index (BDI-II), dementia with \<19 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA))
allergy to capsaicin or barium
further than 1.5 hours (door to door) distance from either Teachers College, Columbia University or Purdue University.

What this trial measures

  • Change in Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (Cough PEFR) - phase 1Pretraining to posttraining (after four weeks of intensive training)
  • Change in Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (Cough PEFR) - phase 2post-training to post one-year maintenance
  • Change in Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) - phase 1Pretraining to posttraining (after four weeks of intensive training)

    PAS, max value: 8 (most impaired), min value 1 (least impaired).

  • Change in Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) - phase 2post-training to post one-year maintenance

    PAS, max value: 8 (most impaired), min value 1 (least impaired).