Sensorimotor Cough Dysfunction in Cerebellar Ataxias.

Cerebellar ataxias are neurological conditions with a high prevalence of aspiration pneumonia and dysphagia. Recent research shows that sensorimotor cough dysfunction is associated with airway invasion and dysphagia in other neurological conditions and may increase the risk of pneumonia. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize sensorimotor cough function and its relationship with ataxia severity.

The Relationship Between Lingual Strength and Functional Swallowing Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether reduced lingual strength was associated with functional swallowing outcomes in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Participants (N = 42) completed evaluations of maximal lingual isometric pressure (MIP) and mean lingual swallowing pressure (MSP), and flexible endoscopic evaluations of swallowing. Regression models were used to determine the association between lingual strength and functional swallowing outcomes of airway invasion, the presence of post-swallow pharyngeal residue, and the amount of pharyngeal residue (when present).

Rehabilitating Cough Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Disorders of airway protection (cough and swallowing) are pervasive in Parkinson's disease (PD) resulting in a high incidence of aspiration pneumonia and death. However, there are no randomized controlled trials comparing strength and skill-based approaches to improve airway protection in PD.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) and sensorimotor training for airway protection (smTAP) to improve cough-related outcomes in people with PD.

Spatial Distribution Analysis of Novel Texture Feature Descriptors for Accurate Breast Density Classification.

Breast density has been recognised as an important biomarker that indicates the risk of developing breast cancer. Accurate classification of breast density plays a crucial role in developing a computer-aided detection (CADe) system for mammogram interpretation. This paper proposes a novel texture descriptor, namely, rotation invariant uniform local quinary patterns (RIU4-LQP), to describe texture patterns in mammograms and to improve the robustness of image features.

Novel Texture Feature Descriptors Based on Multi-Fractal Analysis and LBP for Classifying Breast Density in Mammograms.

This paper investigates the usefulness of multi-fractal analysis and local binary patterns (LBP) as texture descriptors for classifying mammogram images into different breast density categories. Multi-fractal analysis is also used in the pre-processing step to segment the region of interest (ROI). We use four multi-fractal measures and the LBP method to extract texture features, and to compare their classification performance in experiments.

Characterizing Quality of Life in Caregivers of People with Parkinson's Disease and Dysphagia.

Caring for a family member with dysphagia can negatively impact caregiver wellbeing, although little is known about how dysphagia severity or specific symptoms influence this. The purpose of this study was to examine how objective measures of dysphagia in people with Parkinson's disease influenced their caregivers' quality of life. Fifty caregivers (mainly spouses) of people with Parkinson's disease completed a caregiver quality of life survey.

Dual Tasking Influences Cough Reflex Outcomes in Adults with Parkinson's Disease: A Controlled Study.

Coughing is an essential airway protective reflex. In healthy young adults, cough somatosensation changes when attention is divided (dual tasking). Whether the same is true in populations at risk of aspiration remains unknown.

The association between oral bacteria, the cough reflex and pneumonia in patients with acute stroke and suspected dysphagia.

Objective: To establish how oral bacteria are related to cough sensitivity and pneumonia in a clinical stroke population.

Background: Stroke patients are at risk of colonisation by respiratory pathogens due, in part, to sudden discontinuation of effective oral hygiene. When combined with reduced cough reflex sensitivity, aspiration of contaminated oropharyngeal contents and can lead to pneumonia.

Measuring voluntary and reflexive cough strength in healthy individuals.

Background: Cough reflex testing is a validated tool for identifying patients at risk of silent aspiration. However, inter- and intra-rater reliabilities of perceptual judgements of cough strength are sub-optimal. Although there are clinically established methods for measuring volitional cough strength, no similar methods are identified for reflexive cough strength.

Does diurnal variation in cough reflex testing exist in healthy young adults?

The aim of this study was to investigate whether diurnal variation in cough reflex sensitivity exists in healthy young adults when a tidal-breathing method is used. Fifty-three participants (19-37 years) underwent cough reflex testing on two occasions: once in the morning (between 9 am - midday) and once in the afternoon (between 2-5 pm). The order of testing was counter-balanced.