TABLE OF CONTENTS

 page

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S ................................................................................................. iii

LIST OF TA BLE S .............. ............ ... ........... .. ........... .............. .. vii

LIST OF FIGURES ............. .. ..... ...... ........ ....... .......................... viii

A B ST R A C T ................. .......................................................................................... x

CHAPTER

1 IN TR OD U CTION ............................................... .. ......................... ..

 B a ck g ro u n d ............................................................................................ ....... ..... .
 Significance and H ypotheses ............................................................... ............... 12

2 M ETHOD S ..................................... ................................. ........... 14

 P participants ................................ .................. ...... ............ .... ........ 14
 Clinical Assessment of Parkinson's Disease Severity..............................................15
 Videoradiography ............. .... ............. .................... .. .......... .......... 16
 Data Analysis ..................................................... 18
 M easurem ents Related to Sw allow Tim ing.................................. .................... 18
 Measurements Related to Penetration/Aspiration ................... .............. 19
 M easurem ents of Hyoid M otion........................... .................... ............... 20
 M measures of Quality of Life ...... ............................................... ............... 21
 S statistic s .......................................................................... 2 2
 P rim ary A im ................................................................2 2
 Exploratory Study ......................................................... .. ......22

3 R E S U L T S .............................................................................2 3

 P rim a ry A im ............................................................................................................... 2 3
 R e liab ility ................................................................2 4
 Statistical A naly sis ...........................................................24
 Exploratory Study: Hyoid Trajectory Measurements ..............................................28
 R e liab ility ................................................................2 8
 Statistical A naly sis ...........................................................2 8
 Case Studies................... ......... .. .... .... .............. ...30



 v