New and Evolving Treatments for Neurologic Dysphagia.

Despite swallowing being a frequently performed daily function, it is highly complex. For a safe swallow to occur, muscles within the head, neck, and thorax need to contract in a concerted pattern, controlled by several swallowing centers at multiple levels of the central nervous system, including the midbrain, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum in addition to five cranial nerves. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is caused by a long list of pathologic processes and diseases, which can interfere with various stages along the swallowing sensorimotor pathway.

Which Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) instruments are currently used in Germany: a survey.

Background: The Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) records geriatric syndromes in a standardized manner, allowing individualized treatment tailored to the patient's needs and resources. Its use has shown a beneficial effect on the functional outcome and survival of geriatric patients. A recently published German S1 guideline for level 2 CGA provides recommendations for the use of a broad variety of different assessment instruments for each geriatric syndrome.

Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation prior to extubation - Reduction of extubation failure rate in acute stroke patients?

Purpose: The aim of our study was to assess if PES before extubation can minimize the extubation failure risk in orally intubated, mechanically ventilated stroke patients at high risk of severe dysphagia.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-two ICU patients were prospectively enrolled in this study presenting with a high risk for dysphagia as defined by a DEFISS (Determine Extubation Failure In Severe Stroke) risk score and compared 1:1 to a retrospective matched patient control group. The prospective patient group received PES prior to extubation.

Validation of the DIGEST-FEES as a Global Outcome Measure for Pharyngeal Dysphagia in Parkinson's Disease.

Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) is one of two diagnostic gold standards for pharyngeal dysphagia in Parkinson's disease (PD), however, validated global outcome measures at the patient level are widely lacking. The Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity for Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (DIGEST-FEES) represents such an outcome measure but has been validated primarily for head and neck cancer collectives. The objective of this study was, therefore, to investigate the validity of the DIGEST-FEES in patients with PD.

The assessment of dysphagia after stroke: state of the art and future directions.

Dysphagia is a major complication following an acute stroke that affects the majority of patients. Clinically, dysphagia after stroke is associated with increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, mortality, and other adverse functional outcomes. Pathophysiologically, dysphagia after stroke is caused by disruption of an extensive cortical and subcortical swallowing network.

Bilateral vocal cord palsy as complication of CNS tuberculosis.

Background: Tuberculous meningitis, a rare but severe form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, frequently affects cranial nerves. While nerves III, VI and VII are commonly involved, involvement of caudal cranial nerves is rarely described. Here, we report a rare case of bilateral vocal cord palsy secondary to caudal cranial nerve involvement in tuberculous meningoencephalitis, that occurred in Germany, a country with low tuberculosis incidence.

[Diagnostics and treatment of post-stroke dysphagia].

Background: Post-stroke dysphagia is highly prevalent and leads to severe complications, such as aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition. Despite the high clinical relevance dysphagia management is heterogeneous and often inadequate.

Objective: The aim of this review article is to provide an overview of the diagnostic and treatment strategies for post-stroke dysphagia based on recent studies.

Costs of post-stroke dysphagia during acute hospitalization from a health-insurance perspective.

Purpose: Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a common and complication-prone symptom after stroke and is assumed to increase medical expenses. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine acute hospitalization costs associated with post-stroke dysphagia.

Method: This retrospective study included patients with acute stroke who had been examined by Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES).

Relationship between post-stroke dysphagia and pharyngeal sensory impairment.

Background: Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) is common and can lead to serious complications. Pharyngeal sensory impairment is assumed to contribute to PSD. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between PSD and pharyngeal hypesthesia and to compare different assessment methods for pharyngeal sensation.

Dysphagia for medication in Parkinson's disease.

Dysphagia is common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and is assumed to complicate medication intake. This study comprehensively investigates dysphagia for medication and its association with motor complications in PD. Based on a retrospective analysis, a two-dimensional and graduated classification of dysphagia for medication was introduced differentiating swallowing efficiency and swallowing safety.

Clinical determinants and neural correlates of presbyphagia in community-dwelling older adults.

Background: "Presbyphagia" refers to characteristic age-related changes in the complex neuromuscular swallowing mechanism. It has been hypothesized that cumulative impairments in multiple domains affect functional reserve of swallowing with age, but the multifactorial etiology and postulated compensatory strategies of the brain are incompletely understood. This study investigates presbyphagia and its neural correlates, focusing on the clinical determinants associated with adaptive neuroplasticity.

Detecting myositis as a cause of unexplained dysphagia: Proposal for a diagnostic algorithm.

Background And Purpose: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) can present with dysphagia as a leading or only symptom. In such cases, diagnostic evaluation may be difficult, especially if serological and electromyographical findings are unsuspicious. In this observational study we propose and evaluate a diagnostic algorithm to identify IIM as a cause of unexplained dysphagia.

Oropharyngeal Dysphagia and Impaired Motility of the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract-Is There a Clinical Link in Neurocritical Care?

Patients in the neurological ICU are at risk of suffering from disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) can be caused by the underlying neurological disease and/or ICU treatment itself. The latter was also identified as a risk factor for gastrointestinal dysmotility.

Detecting myasthenia gravis as a cause of unclear dysphagia with an endoscopic tensilon test.

Aims: The flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing-tensilon test (FTT) was developed to diagnose myasthenia gravis (MG) in patients with unclear pharyngeal dysphagia. The purpose of this study was to determine sensitivity and specificity of the FTT and compare its diagnostic validity with that of other diagnostic markers.

Methods: In this single-centre pragmatic clinical cohort study, a total of 100 patients with unclear pharyngeal dysphagia were eligible to undergo FTT.

Standardized Endoscopic Swallowing Evaluation for Tracheostomy Decannulation in Critically Ill Neurologic Patients - a prospective evaluation.

Background: Removal of a tracheostomy tube in critically ill neurologic patients is a critical issue during intensive care treatment, particularly due to severe dysphagia and insufficient airway protection. The "Standardized Endoscopic Evaluation for Tracheostomy Decannulation in Critically Ill Neurologic Patients" (SESETD) is an objective measure of readiness for decannulation. This protocol includes the stepwise evaluation of secretion management, spontaneous swallowing, and laryngeal sensitivity during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).

Predictors, outcome and characteristics of oropharyngeal dysphagia in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Introduction: Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a clinical hallmark of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). This study investigated predictors, outcome, and characteristics of oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with different types of IIM.

Methods: Flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) videos of 71 IIM patients were retrospectively analyzed for bolus spillage, penetration, aspiration, and pharyngeal residue.

Expiratory Muscle Strength Training for Therapy of Pharyngeal Dysphagia in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Pharyngeal dysphagia in Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common and clinically relevant symptom associated with poor nutrition intake, reduced quality of life, and aspiration pneumonia. Despite this, effective behavioral treatment approaches are rare.

Objective: The objective of this study was to verify if 4 week of expiratory muscle strength training can improve pharyngeal dysphagia in the short and long term and is able to induce neuroplastic changes in cortical swallowing processing.

Dysphagia in Patients With Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019-Potential Neurologic Etiologies.

Importance: Dysphagia is a common complication of critical illness, and many known risk factors are also present in critically ill coronavirus disease 2019 victims.

Objectives: To investigate dysphagia in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019.

Design Setting And Participants: In this case series, we report results of dedicated evaluation of swallowing function in six consecutive, tracheotomized coronavirus disease 2019 patients after they had survived acute respiratory distress syndrome and were weaned from the respirator.