Speaker: Michael J. Hammer, UW School of Medicine and Public Health
Abstract: Historically, Parkinson's Disease (PD) has simply been classified as a "movement disorder". Recent evidence, including data from our laboratory, strongly suggests a more complex model of sensory-movement interaction whereby airway movements are guided by sensory (e.g., touch) inputs to the central nervous system. Sensory-movement interactions, and the related deficits that accompany PD, substantially impact a constellation of important airway functions such as breathing, cough, speech, swallow, and voice. This seminar will focus on (a) how airway sensory-movement functions are negatively impacted by PD, (b) the clinical consequences of this impact, and (c) strategies that may improve these airway sensory-movement functions in PD.