The Occurrence Rate of Swallowing Disorders After Stroke Patients in Asia: A PRISMA-Compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Prevalence, severity, and predictors of dysphagia among patients with acute stroke in Oman

BACKGROUND

Up to 80% of stroke patients suffer from dysphagia. It is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs due to aspiration, pneumonia, and malnutrition, which represent a significant burden to stroke survivors, their relatives, and the healthcare system. Early recognition and management of post-stroke dysphagia is key to reducing its complications and enhancing patients' quality of life. Despite the importance of dysphagia following a stroke and its adverse consequences, no study has investigated dysphagia after stroke in Oman. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of post-stroke dysphagia and its severity among acute stroke patients, assess the association between the selected factors and dysphagia, and identify dysphagia predictors.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

A cross-sectional descriptive study design was utilized to identify the prevalence and risk factors for post-stroke dysphagia among acute stroke patients (n = 274) admitted to two Omani tertiary hospitals over 6 months. Dysphagia was assessed using the Gugging swallowing screen. Descriptive analysis, correlations, and regression analysis were computed.

RESULTS

The prevalence of dysphagia following stroke was 70.1%. Among those who had dysphagia, 37.5% had severe, 31.25% moderate, and 31.25% mild dysphagia. Aging, obesity, having a medical co-morbidity, hypertension, stroke location, low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and the use of thrombectomy or thrombolysis therapy were contributing factors and were found to be correlated with post-stroke dysphagia. This study revealed that old age [odds ratio (OR) = 0.961, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.933-0.989, P = 0.007)], obesity (OR = 0.387, 95% CI: 0.157-0.952, P = 0.039), and low GCS score (OR = 0.027, 95% CI: 0.009-0.077, p=<0.001) were predictors of dysphagia after stroke.

CONCLUSION

Post-stroke dysphagia is more common among acute stroke patients. There are various risk factors correlated with dysphagia following a stroke. Therefore, dysphagia predictors should be considered when designing dysphagia prevention strategies to reduce its adverse consequences. Recognition of such predictors may help with the early detection and treatment of dysphagic patients and the implementation of preventive approaches.

Incidence of post-extubation dysphagia among critical care patients undergoing orotracheal intubation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Post-extubation dysphagia (PED) emerges as a frequent complication following endotracheal intubation within the intensive care unit (ICU). PED has been strongly linked to adverse outcomes, including aspiration, pneumonia, malnutrition, heightened mortality rates, and prolonged hospitalization, resulting in escalated healthcare expenditures. Nevertheless, the reported incidence of PED varies substantially across the existing body of literature. Therefore, the principal objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive estimate of PED incidence in ICU patients undergoing orotracheal intubation.

METHODS

We searched Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, China Science, Technology Journal Database (VIP), and SinoMed databases from inception to August 2023. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Subsequently, a random-effects model was employed for meta-statistical analysis utilizing the "meta prop" command within Stata SE version 15.0 to ascertain the incidence of PED. In addition, we performed subgroup analyses and meta-regression to elucidate potential sources of heterogeneity among the included studies.

RESULTS

Of 4144 studies, 30 studies were included in this review. The overall pooled incidence of PED was 36% (95% confidence interval [CI] 29-44%). Subgroup analyses unveiled that the pooled incidence of PED, stratified by assessment time (≤ 3 h, 4-6 h, ≤ 24 h, and ≤ 48 h), was as follows: 31.0% (95% CI 8.0-59.0%), 28% (95% CI 22.0-35.0%), 41% (95% CI 33.0-49.0%), and 49.0% (95% CI 34.0-63.0%), respectively. When sample size was 100 < N ≤ 300, the PED incidence was more close to the overall PED incidence. Meta-regression analysis highlighted that sample size, assessment time and mean intubation time constituted the source of heterogeneity among the included studies.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of PED was high among ICU patients who underwent orotracheal intubation. ICU professionals should raise awareness about PED. In the meantime, it is important to develop guidelines or consensus on the most appropriate PED assessment time and assessment tools to accurately assess the incidence of PED.

Cortical compensation mechanism for swallowing recovery in patients with medullary infarction-induced dysphagia

Introduction

This study aims to examine brain activity during different swallowing actions in patients with dysphagia caused by medullary infarction (MI) before and after treatment using blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods

Fifteen patients were enrolled in this study. Brain activation during saliva swallowing and effortful saliva swallowing was observed using BOLD imaging in the acute phase of stroke and after 4 weeks of rehabilitation training. Differences in the activation of brain regions during saliva swallowing before and after treatment, during effortful saliva swallowing before and after treatment, and between the two swallowing actions before and after treatment were compared.

Results

In the acute phase of stroke, only the bilateral precentral and left lingual gyrus were partially activated during saliva swallowing, and there was no obvious activation in the insula. Effortful saliva swallowing activated more brain regions than saliva swallowing before treatment, including the bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA), postcentral gyrus, and right insular cortex. The number of brain regions activated during saliva swallowing increased after treatment, including the bilateral precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, insula, thalamus, and SMA.

Discussion

Cortical activation increases after recovery from dysphagia, and the increased activation of the postcentral gyrus might play a functional compensatory role. Effortful saliva swallowing is a more effective rehabilitation training method for patients with dysphagia caused by MI.

Risk factors for dysphagia in patients with acute and chronic ischemic stroke: A retrospective cohort study

Background

Dysphagia is a common and clinically significant complication of ischemic stroke. The prevalence and risk factors for dysphagia may vary at different stages following an ischemic stroke.

Methods

This study included patients with acute and chronic ischemic stroke who were treated at the Department of Rehabilitation, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from 2019 to 2022. Various demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were collected, and statistical analyses were performed to investigate their association with dysphagia.

Results

Among the 399 ischemic stroke patients included in the study, 165 (41.4 %) experienced dysphagia, with 72 (38.7 %) in the acute phase and 93 (43.7 %) in the chronic phase. Univariate analysis revealed significant associations (p < 0.05) between dysphagia and factors such as pulmonary infection, aphasia, NIHSS score, ADL score, NLR score, lower extremity Brunnstrom's stages, and sit-to-stand balance. Multiple logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for confounding factors, identified the ADL score as an independent predictor of dysphagia. These findings were consistent across three time-windows: the acute phase, the chronic phase, and 180 days after stroke onset. Additionally, the lymphocyte count and pulmonary infection were identified as potential independent indicators.

Conclusions

This study investigated the prevalence and risk factors for dysphagia in ischemic stroke patients at different time-windows. A low ADL score (<40) may serve as a valuable and reliable predictor for poststroke dysphagia in clinical settings.

Identification of a know-do gap: An observational study of the assessment and treatment of dysphagia during inpatient stroke rehabilitation in primary healthcare in Norway

PURPOSE

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a common swallowing impairment post-stroke managed by speech language pathologists (SLP). This article aims to demonstrate a local know-do gap assessment for usual dysphagia care for patients undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation in primary healthcare in Norway, which included an assessment of the functional level of the patients and characteristics and outcomes of treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this observational study, we assessed the outcomes and interventions of patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation following stroke. The patients received usual care from SLPs while the research team administered a dysphagia assessment protocol that included assessment of several swallowing domains including oral intake, swallowing, patient self-reported functional health status and health-related quality of life, and oral health. The treating SLPs documented the treatments provided in a treatment diary.

RESULTS

Of 91 patients who consented, 27 were referred for SLP and 14 received treatment. During the median treatment period of 31.5 days (IQR = 8.8-57.0), patients received 7.0 treatment sessions (IQR = 3.8-13.5) of 60 minutes (IQR = 55-60). The patients who received SLP treatment demonstrated no/minor disorders (n = 7) and moderate/severe disorders (n = 7). Dysphagia treatments primarily included oromotor training and advice on bolus modification and were provided without association to dysphagia severity. Patients with moderate/severe swallowing impairments received slightly more SLP sessions over a longer time.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified gaps between current and best practices and opportunities to improve assessment, decision-making, and implement evidence-based practices.

Dysphagia after ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke: A propensity-matched 20-year analysis of the national inpatient sample

OBJECTIVE

Dysphagia is a common symptom of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but little is known surrounding national trends of this post-stroke condition. Hence, this study aimed to identify the risk factors for dysphagia following AIS and ICH and evaluate in-hospital outcomes in these patients.

METHODS

The 2000-2019 Nationwide Inpatient Sample was queried for patients admitted with AIS (ICD9 433, 43401, 43411, 43491, ICD-10 I63) and ICH (ICD9 431, 432.9, ICD-10 I61, I62.9). Univariate analysis with t-tests or chi-square performed as appropriate. A 1:1 nearest neighbor propensity score matched cohort was generated. Variables with standardized mean differences >0.1 were used in multivariable regression to generate adjusted odds ratios (AOR)/β-coefficients for the presence of dysphagia on outcomes.

RESULTS

Of 10,415,286 patients with AIS, 956,662 (9.2%) had in-hospital dysphagia. Total of 2,000,868 patients with ICH were identified; 203,511 (10.2%) had in-hospital dysphagia. Patients with dysphagia after AIS were less likely to experience in-hospital mortality (OR 0.61;95%CI: 0.60-0.63) or be discharged home (AOR 0.51;95%CI: 0.51-0.52), had increased length of stay (Beta-coefficient = 0.43 days; 95%CI: 0.36-0.50), and had increased hospital charges ($14411.96;95%CI: 13565.68-15257.44) (all p < 0.001). Patients with dysphagia after ICH were less likely to experience in-hospital mortality (AOR 0.39;95%CI: 0.37-0.4), less likely to be discharged home (AOR 0.59,95%CI:0.57-0.61), have longer hospital stay (Beta-coefficient = 1.99 days;95%CI: 1.78-2.21), and increased hospital charges ($28251.93; 95%CI: $25594.57-30909.28)(all p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to report on national trends in patients with dysphagia after AIS and ICH. These patients had longer hospital LOS, worse functional outcomes at discharge, and higher hospital costs.

Manual Acupuncture or Combination of Rehabilitation Therapy to Treat Poststroke Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Backgroundand Objective. Poststroke dysphagia is one of the most common stroke complications with high morbidity and long course, while acupuncture treatment is easily accepted by patients due to its reliability, feasibility, simple operation, low price, and quick effect. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of manual acupuncture in poststroke dysphagia patients. Methods. Databases including Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library databases, EMBASE, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), WanFang (WanFang Database), and VIP (Chongqing VIP) were searched from inception until Aug 19, 2022. Data were analyzed using Revman 5.3, Stata 14.0, and TSA 0.9.5.10 Beta software. Evidence quality evaluation was performed by using GRADE profiler 3.6. Results. A total of 33 randomized control trials (RCTs) enrolled 2680 patients. Meta-analysis results revealed that compared to rehabilitation, acupuncture decreased water swallow test (WST) and standard swallowing assessment (SSA) scores. Meanwhile, in contrast to rehabilitation alone, integration of acupuncture with rehabilitation effectively decreased WST and SSA scores; improved swallowing scores of videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), swallowing scores of Fujishima Ichiro, Barthel index (BI), and swallowing quality of life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL); reduced the aspiration rates as well as aspiration pneumonia; and shortened the duration of empty swallowing and the duration of 5 mL water swallowing. Pooled analysis did not reveal any significant differences in dysphagia outcome severity scores (DOSS) (p=0.15 > 0.05p) between the acupuncture group combined with rehabilitation group and the rehabilitation group alone. After the risk-of-bias assessment, these studies were not of low quality, except in terms of allocation concealment and blindness. Evidence quality evaluation showed that allocation concealment and blindness led to a downgrade and primary outcomes' evaluation of acupuncture combined with rehabilitation were ranked as moderate-quality evidence while acupuncture alone was ranked as low-quality. Conclusion. This meta-analysis provided positive pieces of evidences that acupuncture and acupuncture combined with rehabilitation were better than using rehabilitation alone in the treatment of poststroke dysphagia.

Effect of Cold Fluid Compensatory Swallowing Combined with Balloon Dilation on the Treatment of Poststroke Cricopharyngeal Achalasia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

This study is aimed at comparing the treatment efficacy between catheter balloon dilation combined with cold fluid compensatory swallowing training and catheter balloon dilation alone on poststroke cricopharyngeal achalasia (CPA).

Methods

We conducted a single-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT). Poststroke patients with CPA were divided into two groups: the control group (treated with catheter balloon dilation) and the trial group (catheter balloon dilation combined with cold fluid compensatory swallowing). Videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) was performed, and functional oral intake scale (FOIS) was used to evaluate and compare the swallowing function of patients in the 2 groups before and after intervention. Posttreatment VAS pain scores and recovery time were also measured.

Results

VFSS and FOIS scores in the two groups were improved after treatment (P < 0.05). In the trial group, VFSS scores in the pharyngeal phase and aspiration degree were significantly higher compared with the control group (P < 0.05) but not in the oral phase (P > 0.05). The difference in FOIS scores and patients' recovery time from intervention to eating mushy food between the trial and control groups was significant (P < 0.05), but not the VAS scores (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

The catheter balloon dilation combined with cold fluid compensatory swallowing was superior to catheter balloon dilation alone in terms of relieving dysphagia and reducing aspiration in patients with CPA following stroke. Long-term efficacy should be followed up with more objective and quantitative indicators in future studies.

Increased cortical-medulla functional connectivity is correlated with swallowing in dysphagia patients with subacute infratentorial stroke

Patients with infratentorial stroke (IS) exhibit more severe dysphagia and a higher risk of aspiration than patients with supratentorial stroke. Nevertheless, a large proportion of patients with IS regain swallowing function within 6 months; however, the neural mechanism for this recovery remains unclear. We aimed to investigate possible neuroplastic changes involved using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and their relation to swallowing function. We assessed 21 patients with IS (mean age: 59.9 ± 11.1 years) exhibiting dysphagia in the subacute phase and 21 healthy controls (mean age: 57.1 ± 7.8 years). Patient evaluations were based on the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS), and fMRI. Temporal swallowing measures and the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) were obtained using VFSS. Whole-brain-medulla resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) was calculated and compared between patients and healthy controls. The rsFCs were also correlated with functional measures within the patient group. In patients with IS, whole-brain-medulla rsFCs were significantly higher in the precuneus, the left and right precentral gyrus, and the right supplementary motor area compared to those in healthy controls (P < 0.001, family-wise error-corrected cluster-level P < 0.05). The rsFCs to the medulla for the left (r = -0.507, P = 0.027) and right side (r = -0.503, P = 0.028) precentral gyrus were negatively correlated with the PAS. The rsFC between the left (r = 0.470, P = 0.042) and right (r = 0.459, P = 0.048) precentral gyrus to the medulla was positively correlated with upper esophageal sphincter opening durations (UOD). In addition, PAS was also correlated with UOD (r = -0.638, P = 0.003) whereas the laryngeal closure duration was correlated with the hyoid bone movement duration (r = 0.550, P = 0.015). Patients with IS exhibited overall modulation of cortical-medulla connectivity during the subacute phase. Patients with higher connectivities showed better swallowing performance. These findings support that there is cortical involvement in swallowing regulation after IS and can aid in determining potential treatment targets for dysphagia.

Prevalence of dysphagia and risk of pneumonia and mortality in acute stroke patients: a meta-analysis

Background

Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) has been associated with high risk of aspiration pneumonia and mortality. However, limited evidence on pooled prevalence of post-stroke dysphagia and influence of individual, disease and methodological factors reveals knowledge gap. Therefore, to extend previous evidence from systematic reviews, we performed the first meta-analysis to examine the pooled prevalence, risk of pneumonia and mortality and influence of prognostic factors for PSD in acute stroke.

Methods

Our search was conducted in CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Ovid-Medline, PubMed, and Web of Science an initial search in October 2020 and a follow-up search in May 2021. Data synthesis was conducted using the Freeman-Tukey double-arcsine transformation model for the pooled prevalence rate and the DerSimonian-Lard random-effects model for prognostic factors and outcomes of PSD.

Results

The pooled prevalence of PSD was 42% in 42 studies with 26,366 participants. PSD was associated with higher pooled odds ratio (OR) for risk of pneumonia 4.08 (95% CI, 2.13–7.79) and mortality 4.07 (95% CI, 2.17–7.63). Haemorrhagic stroke 1.52 (95% CI, 1.13–2.07), previous stroke 1.40 (95% CI, 1.18–1.67), severe stroke 1.38 (95% CI, 1.17–1.61), females 1.25 (95% CI, 1.09–1.43), and diabetes mellitus 1.24 (95% CI, 1.02–1.51) were associated with higher risk of PSD. Males 0.82 (95% CI, 0.70–0.95) and ischaemic stroke 0.54 (95% CI, 0.46–0.65) were associated with lower risk of PSD. Haemorrhagic stroke, use of instrumental assessment method, and high quality studies demonstrated to have higher prevalence of PSD in the moderator analysis.

Conclusions

Assessment of PSD in acute stroke with standardized valid and reliable instruments should take into account stroke type, previous stroke, severe stroke, diabetes mellitus and gender to aid in prevention and management of pneumonia and thereby, reduce the mortality rate.

Trial registration

https://osf.io/58bjk/?view_only=26c7c8df8b55418d9a414f6d6df68bdb.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-02960-5.

The global prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in different populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) refers to any abnormality in the physiology of swallowing in the upper gastrointestinal tract, which leads to the related clinical complications, such as malnutrition, dehydration, and sever complication, such as aspiration pneumonia, suffocation, and eventually, premature death. The previous studies indicated a various range of prevalence of OD. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to standardize the global prevalence of OD in different populations.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted using Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science (WoS) databases, and Google Scholar motor engine using related MeSH/Emtree and Free Text words, with no time limitation until November 2021. The heterogeneity among studies was quantified using I² index and the random effects model was used, due to the high heterogeneity among the results of studies included in the meta-analysis.

Results

The systematic literature search retrieved 2092 studies. After excluding the irrelevant studies, ultimately 27 articles with a sample size of 9841 were included in the meta-analysis. After combining the studies, the overall estimate of the global prevalence rate of OD was 43.8% (95% CI 33.3–54.9%) and the highest prevalence rate was estimated in Africa with 64.2% (95% CI 53.2–73.9%). Given the subgroup analysis based on the study population, the highest prevalence of OD was related to Dementia with 72.4% (95% CI 26.7–95.0%). The results of meta-regression indicated that the prevalence of OD has an increasing trend with the enhancement of year of publication and mean age.

Conclusion

The results of the present systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the prevalence of OD is high in different populations and its trend has been increasing in recent years. Therefore, the appropriate strategies should be applied to reduce the prevalence of OD by finding its causation and monitoring at all levels, as well as providing feedback to hospitals.

The Relationship Between Dysphagia and Pneumonia in Acute Stroke Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Dysphagia is a common complication after stroke and is associated with the development of pneumonia. This study aimed to summarize the relationship between dysphagia and pneumonia in post-stroke patients.

Materials and Methods

Articles published up to November 2021 were searched in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library, and Scopus databases. Studies that investigated the development of pneumonia in acute stroke patients with and without dysphagia were included. The methodological quality of individual studies was evaluated using the Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies-of Interventions tool, and publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot and Egger's test.

Results

Of 5,314 studies, five studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed that the incidence of pneumonia was significantly higher in the dysphagia group than in the non-dysphagia group (OR 9.60; 95% CI 5.75–16.04; p &lt; 0.0001; I2 = 78%). There was no significant difference in the mortality rate between the two groups (OR 5.64; 95% CI 0.83–38.18; p = 0.08; I2 = 99%).

Conclusion

Dysphagia is a significant risk factor for pneumonia after stroke. The early diagnosis and treatment of dysphagia in stroke patients are important to prevent stroke-associated pneumonia.

Acupuncture Reduces the Risk of Dysphagia in Stroke Patients: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study

Background: Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) affects the quality of life in stroke patients, impairs their rehabilitation ability, and causes other complications following stroke. Currently, there is currently some understanding of PSD risk factors, but its protective factors remain largely unknown. Objective: To analyze the effects of acupuncture (AP) on dysphagia in stroke patients and explore its potential as a preventive therapy. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of stroke from 2010 to 2019 were selected and followed until 2020, utilizing factors such as age, gender, stroke location, stroke type, and baseline comorbidity. To compare the incidence of dysphagia, equal numbers of stroke patients treated with and without AP (n = 1,809) were matched by 1:1 propensity scoring. The Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier method were used to assess the risk of dysphagia as an outcome measure. Results: The stroke patients treated with AP had a lower risk of dysphagia after adjusting for age, gender, stroke location, stroke type, and baseline comorbidity [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 0.43, 95% confidence interval = 0.37-0.49] compared with those in the non-AP cohort. AP also decreased the risk of PSD among different gender groups. The risk ratios were AHR = 0.45 and AHR = 0.33 for males and females, respectively. AP also reduced the risk for PSD among different age groups. The risk ratios were AHR = 0.20, AHR = 0.37, AHR = 0.41, and AHR = 0.45 for the 18-39, 40-59, 60-79, and >80 years-old groups. Regarding stroke types (ischemic, hemorrhagic, and mixed type), patients treated with AP had a lower risk (AHR = 0.47, 0.28 and 0.17, respectively). With respect to stroke location, the risk of PSD in AP-treated patients was decreased regardless of location: brain stem (AHR = 0.41), diencephalon (AHR = 0.13), or multiple lesions (AHR = 0.40), the risk of PSD in AP-treated patients was decreased. For all baseline comorbidities, AP attenuated the risk of dysphagia. The cumulative incidence of dysphagia was remarkably lower in the AP group than in the non-AP group (log-rank test, P = 0.000). Limitations: First, this was a single-center clinical retrospective study. Second, we did not classify the severity of stroke and dysphagia. Third, all data were extracted manually. Lastly, the sample size was relatively small. Thus, future studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to verify our findings. Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment attenuates the risk of dysphagia in stroke patients. Future research should increase the sample size and elaborate further on the details of the AP protocol.

Factors related to dysphagia-specific quality of life in aged patients with neurologic disorders: A cross-sectional study

This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze dysphagia-specific quality of life and its influencing factors in aged patients with neurologic disorders, and is reported according to the STROBE checklist for observational research. The study included 120 outpatients, aged ≥65 years, diagnosed with neurologic diseases at a general hospital Neurology Department in Seoul, Korea. Data collected during a one-month (March and April 2021) questionnaire survey were statistically analyzed using SPSS. Factors related to dysphagia-specific quality of life were gender, education level, neurological diagnosis, type of diet, subjective swallowing disturbance, and affectionate support-a subscale of social support. The combined explanatory power of these factors was 42.1%. It is essential to note that the factors related to the emotional, functional, and physical domains-the subscales of dysphagia-specific quality of life-are different. Therefore, each factor should be considered when planning nursing interventions to improve dysphagia-specific quality of life.

Age-related changes in swallowing muscle intramuscular adipose tissue deposition and related factors

OBJECTIVES

To investigate age-related changes in the intramuscular adipose tissue (IAT) of the tongue and geniohyoid muscle (GHM) and associated factors.

DESIGN

Exploratory cross-sectional study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

This study included 89 participants recruited from a health survey, which included 38 younger adults (age range, 20-63 years) and 51 older adults (age range, 65-87 years).

MEASUREMENTS

Age, body mass index, body fat, lean body mass, skeletal muscle mass index, trunk muscle mass index, tongue pressure, jaw opening force, and oral diadochokinesis were assessed. The cross-sectional area (CSA) and echo intensity (EI) of the tongue and GHM were measured using ultrasonography. IAT was assessed according to EI values. The factors related to the IAT of each muscle were examined using multiple regression analysis. We also investigated the correlation of IAT with factors related to oral function and systemic and morphological factors.

RESULTS

Neither the EI of the tongue nor that of the GHM had a significant correlation with factors related to oral function and systemic factors. In the multiple regression analysis, significant explanatory variables for EI of the tongue and GHM were age (β = 0.14, P = 0.019; tongue and β = 0.13, P = 0.017; GHM) and the CSA of each muscle (β = -0.01, P = 0.042; tongue and β = -0.04, P = 0.003; GHM). EI was positively associated with age and negatively associated with muscle CSA.

CONCLUSION

Age-related changes in the IAT show the same trend for both the tongue and GHM, unlike age-related changes in muscle mass. The IATs of the tongue and GHM were not significantly correlated with oral function and systemic factors. Therefore, EI may not be a useful index for the functional evaluation of the tongue and GHM.

Contextualising clinical reasoning within the clinical swallow evaluation: A scoping review and expert consultation

Background

This study explored the available literature on the phenomenon of clinical reasoning and described its influence on the clinical swallow evaluation. By exploring the relationship between clinical reasoning and the clinical swallow evaluation, it is possible to modernise the approach to dysphagia assessment.

Objectives

This study aimed to contextualise the available literature on clinical reasoning and the CSE to low-middle income contexts through the use of a scoping review and expert consultation.

Method

A scoping review was performed based on the PRISMA-ScR framework. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. Articles were considered if they discussed the clinical swallow evaluation and clinical reasoning, and were published in the last 49 years.

Results

Through rigorous electronic and manual searching, 12 articles were identified. This review made an argument for the value of clinical reasoning within the clinical swallow evaluation. The results of the study revealed three core themes related to the acquisition, variability and positive impact of clinical reasoning in the clinical swallow evaluation.

Conclusion

The results of this review showed that the clinical swallow evaluation is a complex process with significant levels of variability usually linked to the impact of context. This demonstrates that in order to deliver effective and relevant services, despite challenging conditions, healthcare practitioners must depend on clinical reasoning to make appropriate modifications to the assessment process that considers these salient factors.

Effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation associated with swallowing-related muscle training for post-stroke dysphagia: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Swallowing dysfunction is a common dysfunction after stroke, and its incidence exceeds 50%. Aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition induced by dysphagia not only cause psychological shock to patients after stroke, but also burden the medical payment. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation, which stimulates the cortex and cortical bulb pathways to improve swallowing function, has been one of the emerging treatments for the post-stroke deglutition disorder. These therapy operators require the proficiency in professional knowledge, limiting clinical large sample studies, so there is an absence of evidence-based medicine. The research is to evaluate the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulations combined with swallowing-related muscle training to treat swallowing dysfunction after stroke.

METHODS

Computer retrieval performed in the 9 databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of science, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China Knowledge Network Database (CNKI), Wanfang Database (WanFang), and China VIP Database (VIP). Taking the published literature from the establishment of the database until December 20, 2020. Literature searching is related to neuromuscular electrical stimulation randomized controlled trials on the effect of swallowing in stroke. In addition, we will do the manual search in Baidu Academic and Google Academic database as a supplementary search. The correlative randomized controlled clinical studies retrieval time range from the establishment of the database to December 20, 2020. Two investigators will screen the literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria independently, during that period they will evaluate the quality of the included studies and extract data from studies. The extracted data are dichotomous data will be represented by relative risk, continuous data will be represented by mean difference or standard mean deviation. If there exists heterogeneity and the final data summary analysis select random effect model. On the contrary, the fixed effect model is selected. Then, RevMan5.3 software was used when analyzing included literature. Meanwhile, the analysis results were illustrated by drawing.

RESULTS

This review will summarize available trials aimed at providing a comprehensive estimation of effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation associated with swallowing muscle training for post-stroke dysphagia.

CONCLUSION

This review based on a comprehensive analysis of currently published randomized controlled trials on post-stroke dysphagia, that provide reliable evidence-based medicine evidence for the efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation associated with swallowing rehabilitation training.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY202110009.