Higher risk of complications in odynophagia-associated dysphagia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Sensory Changes Related to Swallowing in Motor Neurone Disease

Dysphagia is common in motor neurone disease (MND) and associated with negative health and psychosocial outcomes. Although largely considered a motor disease, a growing body of evidence suggests that MND can also affect the sensory system. As intact sensation is vital for safe swallowing, and sensory changes can influence the clinical management of dysphagia in people living with MND, this review evaluated and summarised the current evidence for sensory changes related to swallowing in MND. Of 3,481 articles originally identified, 29 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 20 studies reported sensory changes, which included laryngeal sensation, taste, gag reflex, cough reflex, tongue sensation, smell, palatal and pharyngeal sensation, silent aspiration, and undefined sensation of the swallowing mechanism. Sensory changes were either described as decreased (n = 16) or heightened (n = 4). In the remaining nine studies, sensory function was reported as unaffected. The presence of changes to sensory function related to swallowing in MND remains inconclusive, although an increasing number of studies report sensory changes in some sensory domains. Future research is needed to evaluate the prevalence of sensory changes in MND and how such changes may influence dysphagia and its management.

Tongue measurements and pharyngeal residue in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Aim: We aimed to analyze the relationship between tongue measurements and vallecular residue in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Materials & methods: Twenty-one patients with ALS were assessed for posterior maximum tongue isometric pressure (PMTIP) and posterior tongue isometric endurance (PTIE) by the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument; vallecular residue after 10 ml of moderately thickened consistency by Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing; and tongue thickness (TT) by ultrasonography. Results: PMTIP, PTIE and TT were decreased compared with the reference values for healthy individuals and were not different between patients with and without vallecular residue. Conclusion: In ALS, PMTIP, PTIE and TT are not good predictors of vallecular residue in the tested volume and food consistency.

Assessment of dysarthria and dysphagia in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Review of the current evidence

Bulbar dysfunction is a common presentation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and significantly impacts quality of life of people with ALS (PALS). The current paper reviews measurements of dysarthria and dysphagia specific to ALS to identify efficient and valid assessment measures. Using such assessment measures will lead to improved management of bulbar dysfunction in ALS. Measures reviewed for dysarthria in PALS are organized into three categories: acoustic, kinematic, and strength. A set of criteria are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures' identification of speech impairments, measurement of functional verbal communication, and clinical applicability. Assessments reviewed for dysphagia in PALS are organized into six categories: patient reported outcomes, dietary intake, pulmonary function and airway defense capacity, bulbar function, dysphagia/aspiration screens, and instrumental evaluations. Measurements that have good potential for clinical use are highlighted in both topic areas. Additionally, areas of improvement for clinical practice and research are identified and discussed. In general, no single speech measure fulfilled all the criteria, although a few measures were identified as potential diagnostic tools. Similarly, few objective measures that were validated and replicated with large sample sizes were found for diagnosis of dysphagia in PALS. Importantly, clinical applicability was found to be limited; thus, a collaborative team focused on implementation science would be helpful to improve the clinical uptake of assessments. Overall, the review highlights the need for further development of clinically viable and efficient measurements that use a multidisciplinary approach.

Identification of swallowing disorders: the perception of patients with neurodegenerative diseases

PURPOSE

To verify the perception of patients with neurodegenerative diseases regarding swallowing changes and to know the perceptions of swallowing sensations that can promote the early identification of dysphagia.

METHODS

It is a cross-sectional study with 44 patients with neurodegenerative diseases. All of them answered a questionnaire to know the sensation perceived during swallowing and its intensity. The Fatigue Severity Scale was applied to measure fatigue and the Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire was applied to detect swallowing complaints. The Functional Oral Intake Scale was used to classify the swallowing functionality. Videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) was performed to verify the correspondence between the patient's perceptions and swallowing physiopathology. A descriptive and exploratory statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS

There was correspondence between VFSS findings and the patient's perception in 76.5% of the cases. Sensations such as discomfort and fatigue were perceived during swallowing, especially with solids. Such feelings have predominantly been reported in the throat, from the half to the end of the meal. There was association between fatigue and odynophagia. Fatigue during swallowing was associated with worse functionality of oral intake.

CONCLUSION

Most participants perceived the disorders in their swallowing. Sensations such as burning, discomfort, tiredness, pain, cramp, or irritation were perceived by participants and were associated with symptoms that may suggest risk of aspiration due to fatigue resulting from weakness, incoordination, and/or stiffness of muscles.

Trends in Research Literature Describing Dysphagia in Motor Neuron Diseases (MND): A Scoping Review

Dysphagia in motor neuron diseases (MNDs) is highly complex, affecting all stages of swallowing and leading to impaired swallowing safety and efficiency. In order to explore the degree to which research is capturing the symptom of dysphagia in MND, we conducted a scoping review of the existing literature. The primary aims of this review were to identify common themes within the literature on dysphagia in MND, explore patterns and trends in research focus, and identify if any imbalances exist between the research themes related to dysphagia description and management. A comprehensive search strategy yielded 1690 unique articles for review. Following relevance screening, a total of 157 articles were included in the synthesis. Relevant data and keywords were extracted from each article and grouped into themes. Frequency estimates were calculated for each theme to identify trends across research literature. Swallowing impairment in MNDs is described in a variety of ways across current research. The most commonly reported theme was Aspiration/Penetration, mentioned in 73.2% of all included articles; a significant imbalance was identified between reports of swallowing safety and efficiency (p = 0.008). The most frequently reported theme related to dysphagia management was Enteral Nutrition, and very few studies have reported on the efficacy of Rehabilitation/Compensatory recommendations. It is suggested that researchers and clinicians remain mindful of imbalances and gaps in research, and aim to characterize dysphagia in MNDs in a comprehensive manner. Further research investigating discrete, measureable changes in swallowing pathophysiology would be beneficial to delineate the key factors contributing to impaired swallowing safety and efficiency.

Prediction of prognosis of ALS: Importance of active denervation findings of the cervical-upper limb area and trunk area

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease characterized by serious muscle atrophy and weakness. The purpose of this study was to find prognostic factors in patients with mild ALS using application forms for the Specified Disease Treatment Research Program in Japan. We classified ALS as mild, moderate and severe. The subjects consisted of 363 patients with mild ALS who underwent needle electromyography at registration and were followed for more than one year. Time to progression to severe ALS and time to deterioration of activities of daily living such as speech dysfunction, upper limb dysfunction, and walking disability were used as outcomes. Cox proportional hazards model analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors. Of the patients with initially mild ALS, 38.3% (139/363) had progressed severe ALS at the last follow-up. In multivariate analysis of time to progression to severe ALS, bulbar onset (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.68 [1.13-2.49], p = 0.010), tongue atrophy (1.69 [1.14-2.51], p = 0.009), dyspnea (1.57 [1.02-2.41], p = 0.042) and active denervation findings (ADFs) of the cervical-upper limb area (1.81 [1.25-2.63], p = 0.002) emerged as prognostic factors. Furthermore ADFs in the trunk area were prognostic factors for upper limb dysfunction and walking disability (1.72 [1.05-2.81], p = 0.031, and 1.97 [1.09-3.59], p = 0.026). In conclusion ADFs of the cervical-upper limb area and trunk area were prognostic factors in ALS patients.