Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion criteria: * 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 criteria: * 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.