Symptoms
Prognosis for PBP patients is poor. Progressive bulbar palsy symptoms can include progressive difficulty with chewing, talking, and swallowing (Merck 2005). Patients can also exhibit reduced gag reflexes, weak palatal movements, fasciculations, and weak movement of the facial muscles and tongue. In advanced cases of PBP, the patient may be unable to protrude their tongue or manipulate food in their mouth (Campbell 2005).
Patients with early cases of PBP have difficulty with pronunciations, particularly lateral consonants (linguals) and velars, and may show problems with drooling saliva. If the corticobulbar tract is affected a pseudobulbar affect with emotional changes may occur (Merck 2005). Because PBP patients have such difficulty swallowing, food and saliva can be inhaled into the lungs. This can cause gagging and choking, and it increases the risk of pneumonia (Merck 2005). Death, which is often from pneumonia, usually occurs 1 to 3 years after the start of the disorder.
Read more about this topic: Progressive Bulbar Palsy
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