Sensory Changes Related to Swallowing in Motor Neurone Disease.
Megan Paterson, Sebastian Doeltgen, Rebecca Francis
PMID 39096334WHAT IT FOUND
Most studies found reduced taste, smell, and laryngeal sensation in motor neurone disease, but evidence quality was low and findings were contradictory.
Clinicians should consider sensory changes when assessing swallowing safety, particularly silent aspiration risk, despite limited high-quality proof.
Key findings
01Twenty of the twenty-nine included studies reported sensory changes, while nine reported no changes.
02Sensory changes were most frequently described as decreased, affecting taste, smell, laryngeal sensation, and reflexes.
03The overall level of methodological rigour in the included literature was low, with many studies rated very low or low by GRADE.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review included only English-language articles. Study designs and outcome measures were highly heterogeneous, preventing meta-analysis or clear pattern identification. Many included studies had very low or low methodological quality, with some being case reports or expert opinions. Demographic and clinical data, such as disease severity and dysphagia onset, were frequently not reported in the original studies. It is difficult to distinguish whether sensory changes are due to MND or normal ageing, although the authors argue MND is more likely.
Declared interests
Funder named: Flinders University. No specific conflicts of interest were declared by the authors in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that sensory changes are a confirmed, primary cause of dysphagia in motor neurone disease. The evidence is low quality and contradictory, with many studies failing to report sensory changes at all. Treat sensory assessment as a clinical consideration rather than a diagnostic certainty.