TOPIC

Dysphagia research

Everything we have read on dysphagia. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

715 PAPERS · PAGE 6 OF 15 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Is Dysphagia Under Diagnosed or is Normal Swallowing More Variable than We Think? Reported Swallowing Problems in People Aged 18-65 Years.DysphagiaSelf-reported swallowing problems on the EAT-10 were common in healthy adults aged 18-65, with 17% scoring above the clinical cutoff. However, many people with high scores reported no difficulties, while others with low scores described significant concerns. The tool often fails to match patient experience.
• SLPOther2021Impact of Tracheal Tube on Swallowing in Post-Operative Head and Neck Cancer Patients: Scintigraphic Analysis.DysphagiaMost swallowing measures, including aspiration, were similar with and without a capped tracheal tube, except esophageal residue increased without the tube.
• SLPOther2021Developmental Changes in Tongue Strength, Swallow Pressures, and Tongue Endurance.DysphagiaChildren aged 6 to 12 had higher tongue strength and higher saliva swallow pressures as they got older. Tongue-tie did not lower these measures overall. Tongue endurance did not follow age or sex and may depend on motivation.
• SLPOther2022Patient-Reported Dysphagia in Adults with Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Translation and Validation of the Swedish Eosinophilic Esophagitis Activity Index.DysphagiaThe Swedish EEsAI reliably measures symptom severity in adults with eosinophilic esophagitis. It clearly separated patients from healthy controls, with patients scoring much higher. The electronic version is recommended over paper to avoid confusion about which questions to answer.
• SLPCohort2021Self-reported Dysphagia and Pharyngeal Volume Following Whiplash Injury.Dysphagia50% of 60 adults after whiplash reported swallowing problems on a questionnaire at some point in 12 months. In 31 followed over time, reports worsened, but pharyngeal volume and neck recovery were not related.
• SLPPilot2021Ultrasound: Validity of a Pocket-Sized System in the Assessment of Swallowing.DysphagiaA pocket-sized ultrasound scanner did not match videofluoroscopy for measuring how the hyoid and larynx move during swallowing in 20 healthy adults. It tracked hyoid movement during saliva swallows, but not during liquids or purees, and failed entirely for thyrohyoid approximation.
• SLPOther2021Effectiveness of Chin Tuck on Laryngeal Penetration: Quantitative Assessment.DysphagiaChin tuck reduced laryngeal penetration depth on average, but a one-grade reduction occurred in only 26 of 76 patients. Confirm individual benefit before using it routinely.
• SLPCase Series2021Outcomes of Combined Antegrade-Retrograde Dilations for Radiation-Induced Esophageal Strictures in Head and Neck Cancer Patients.DysphagiaCombined antegrade-retrograde dilation restored some oral intake in 14 patients with radiation-induced esophageal strictures, but complications occurred in over a third. All complications happened in patients with complete blockages, so this high-risk procedure requires careful selection and strict follow-up.
• SLPOther2022Using Classical Test Theory to Determine the Psychometric Properties of the Deglutition Handicap Index.DysphagiaThe DHI should be scored as one total, not as three separate emotional, functional and physical scores. In 453 patients and 132 controls, a cut-off of 8 helped separate people with dysphagia from healthy controls.
• SLPSurvey2022Management of Dysphagia in Nursing Homes: A National Survey.DysphagiaResidents were not routinely screened for swallowing problems in 75% of Norwegian nursing homes, yet almost all modified food and liquid textures. Oral hygiene after meals was rare, and nearly half lacked access to speech therapists.
• SLPPilot2022Swallowing Outcomes Following Voice Therapy in Multiple System Atrophy with Dysphagia: Comparison of Treatment Efficacy with Parkinson's Disease.DysphagiaAfter 16 LSVT-LOUD voice therapy sessions, 13 patients with Parkinson’s disease or MSA-C had better swallowing scores on a thin-liquid X-ray test. The study was small and uncontrolled, and MSA-C swallowing gains were not clearly kept at follow-up.
• SLPOther2022Mixed Consistencies in Dysphagic Patients: A Myth to Dispel.DysphagiaA thin mixed food (biscuits-with-milk) behaved like thin liquid: 11 of 20 had penetration and 4 aspirated. A thicker mixed food (vegetable soup) behaved like semisolid: 6 had penetration and 2 aspirated. Residue was similar across textures.
• SLPCohort2022Characterization of Esophageal and Sphincter Reflexes across Maturation in Dysphagic Infants with Oral Feeding Success vs Infants requiring Gastrostomy.DysphagiaInfants discharged on oral feeds showed normal maturation of swallowing reflexes. Those requiring gastrostomy tubes did not, showing persistent lack of improvement in esophageal motility and sphincter reflexes, which may explain why they continue to struggle with oral feeding.
• SLPOther2021Annular Flow in the Upper Esophageal Sphincter Demonstrated with Dynamic 320-row Area Detector Computed Tomography.DysphagiaThin liquid swallows create an annular flow pattern in the upper esophageal sphincter, where liquid lines the wall and air flows through the center. Thick liquids produce a plug flow pattern with no central air column. This distinction explains why intrabolus pressure readings differ by consistency.
• SLPCohort2022Solid Swallow Examination During High Resolution Manometry and EGJ-Distensibility Help Identify Esophageal Outflow Obstruction in Non-obstructive Dysphagia.DysphagiaIn 25 patients with dysphagia but normal water-swallow manometry, solid-meal testing identified outflow obstruction. Most received dilation and improved. Low distensibility on imaging probe tracked with solid-meal pressures. This diagnostic yield requires prospective confirmation before changing practice.
• SLPOther2022Validation of the Italian Version of the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS-It) Against Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing and Nutritional Status.DysphagiaThe Italian Functional Oral Intake Scale accurately reflects swallowing safety and nutritional status in adults with mixed dysphagia causes. Lower intake scores correlate with aspiration and malnutrition, supporting its use for standardized clinical documentation.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022The Relationships Between Radiation Dosage and Long-term Swallowing Kinematics and Timing in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Survivors.DysphagiaIn long-term nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors, higher radiation to most swallowing muscles linked to worse kinematics. However, higher radiation to the inferior pharyngeal constrictor appeared to preserve hyolaryngeal elevation, a counterintuitive finding that does not prove this structure is safe.
• SLPOther2022Psychometric Properties of the MDADI-A Preliminary Study of Whether Less is Truly More?DysphagiaFive questions about social eating and self-esteem captured the same information as the full 20-item MDADI in head and neck cancer patients. Do not swap to this shorter version in clinic yet, as the authors advise against it until further validation is complete.
• SLPOther2022A Safe Way to Administer Drugs Through a Nutrition Tube-The Simple Suspension Method.DysphagiaSuspending whole tablets in warm water allowed 91.6% to pass through feeding tubes, compared with 57.4% for crushing. This method reduces tube blockages and drug loss, offering a safer alternative for patients with dysphagia who cannot swallow pills.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2022White Paper by the European Society for Swallowing Disorders: Screening and Non-instrumental Assessment for Dysphagia in Adults.DysphagiaMany commonly used dysphagia screening tools and patient questionnaires have poor or unproven accuracy. The paper recommends stopping use of unvalidated measures and relying only on tools with strong evidence for the specific patient population being assessed.
• SLPCase Series2022Feasibility and Safety of Office-Based Transnasal Balloon Dilation for Neopharyngeal and Proximal Esophageal Strictures in Patients with a History of Head and Neck Carcinoma.DysphagiaOffice-based balloon dilation through the nose was feasible and well-tolerated in 12 patients with head and neck cancer strictures. However, swallowing scores did not improve significantly one month later, and effects were transient in some patients.
• SLPCohort2022Physiology of Dysphagia in Those with Unilateral Vocal Fold Immobility.DysphagiaAmong 61 patients with one immobile vocal fold who had swallow imaging, 14 aspirated. Most aspiration happened after laryngeal closure, and reduced pharyngeal constriction was more common in aspirators. Check pharyngeal clearance, not just vocal fold closure.
• SLPNarrative Review20223D-CT Evaluation of Swallowing: Metrics of the Swallowing Response Using Swallowing CT.DysphagiaThis review describes how 3D CT scanning captures swallowing motion in detail. It reports that thin liquids trigger earlier vocal cord closure than thick liquids, and that head rotation significantly changes pharynx shape. It offers no clinical evidence that these findings improve patient outcomes.
• SLPSurvey2022Emotional and Psychological Effects of Dysphagia: Validation of the Jugendwerk Dysphagia Emotion and Family Assessment (JDEFA).DysphagiaA new questionnaire gathered emotion and family impact answers from 94 people affected by swallowing problems. It is not ready to guide treatment decisions.
• PTOTSLPOther2021The effects of neuromuscular joint facilitation treatment using neck patterns on the acoustic analysis of swallowing sounds in healthy adults.Journal of physical therapy scienceIn healthy adults, a new neck resistance technique produced swallowing sounds with higher amplitude and frequency than resting, matching the traditional Shaker exercise. Since participants had no swallowing disorders and outcomes were acoustic rather than clinical, this does not show the treatment improves swallowing in patients.
• SLPQualitative2022Not Just Dyspnoea: Swallowing as a Concern for Adults with Laryngotracheal Stenosis Undergoing Airway Reconstruction.DysphagiaPatients with airway stenosis described swallowing difficulties as a hidden burden they managed alone by hiding symptoms or drinking water. They wanted clear explanations about why they were kept nil by mouth and felt frustrated by clinicians distrusting their ability to eat safely.
• SLPPilot2022Scoring the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) in Two Conditions: A Reliability Study.DysphagiaScoring swallowing videos as whole studies or as isolated random swallows showed no significant difference in how consistently raters scored airway invasion severity. This pilot was small, so clinicians should not assume either method is proven.
• SLPOther2022Radiation Effective Doses to Adults Undergoing Modified Barium Swallow Studies.DysphagiaModified Barium Swallow Studies expose adults to an average effective dose of 0.32 mSv, classifying them as low-dose exams comparable to chest x-rays. This data supports using MBSS for diagnosis without excessive radiation fear, provided ALARA principles remain in place.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Swallowing Safety and Efficiency Impairment Profiles in Individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.DysphagiaSwallowing inefficiency is far more common than safety issues in ALS, affecting 73% of patients versus 48% for safety. Inefficiency often appears first. Clinicians should target residue management early in the disease course rather than waiting for aspiration signs.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Cough-Inducing Method Using a Tartaric Acid Nebulizer for Patients with Silent Aspiration.DysphagiaIn patients with silent aspiration who could not cough voluntarily, inhaling a tartaric acid mist induced a cough reflex in 38 of 42 cases. Thirty of these patients expectorated the aspirated material. No adverse events were reported.
• SLPPilot2022Establishing Reference Values for Temporal Kinematic Swallow Events Across the Lifespan in Healthy Community Dwelling Adults Using High-Resolution Cervical Auscultation.DysphagiaA noninvasive sensor system accurately identified key swallow timing events in healthy adults, matching videofluoroscopic findings for most measures. It offers a faster, radiation-free screening option while awaiting imaging, though it currently works only for thin liquids.
• SLPCohort2022Oropharyngeal Dysphagia After Hospitalization for COVID-19 Disease: Our Screening Results.DysphagiaEight of 117 post-COVID patients had a positive swallowing screen. Among those eight, four had abnormal swallowing-related quality of life, but seven did not reach the aspiration-risk cut-off. The EAT-10 screen was used to choose who needed further assessment.
• SLPCase Series2022Laryngeal Sarcoidosis and Swallowing: What Do We Know About Dysphagia Assessment and Management in this Population?DysphagiaSeven patients with laryngeal sarcoidosis showed silent aspiration on instrumental tests despite normal eating scores. Bedside checks missed these safety risks. Specialists recommend instrumental assessment for this group to catch airway threats that patients cannot feel.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Seven Domains of Persisting Problems after Hospital-treated Covid-19 Indicate a Need For a Multiprofessional Rehabilitation Approach.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAfter hospital-treated COVID-19, many survivors reported lasting problems in seven areas: vision, physical function, cognition, mood, swallowing, voice, and mental fatigue. In the subgroup with rehabilitation needs, 66% had problems in at least three areas.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2022Autoimmune Neurogenic Dysphagia.DysphagiaDysphagia can be the first sign of an autoimmune neurological disease like myasthenia gravis or inflammatory myopathy. Early identification allows for immunotherapy, which often resolves swallowing issues. Clinicians should maintain a high suspicion for autoimmune causes when dysphagia presents without a clear neurological history.
• SLPOther2022The Dosimetric Outcome of a Rotational Planning Target Volume in Patients With Oropharyngeal Cancers.DysphagiaShaping radiation targets to follow neck rotation lowered planned dose to swallowing muscles in 10 patients. The study predicted, but did not observe, less swallowing trouble, so it is not proof of clinical benefit.
• SLPCohort2022From DYMUS to DYPARK: Validation of a Screening Questionnaire for Dysphagia in Parkinson's Disease.DysphagiaA DYMUS score of 6 flagged higher swallowing risk in Parkinson's disease. Patients and caregivers gave similar scores, supporting use before specialist swallowing tests.
• SLPCohort2022Progression of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Dysphagia44 of 108 ALS patients already had swallowing impairment at first evaluation, and 64 developed it later. Bulbar onset and fast progression were linked to earlier dysphagia and feeding tube need.
• SLPSurvey2021Psychological impact of COVID-19 on speech and language therapists working with adult dysphagia: A national survey.International journal of language & communication disordersMost Irish SLTs working with adult dysphagia screened positive for depression, anxiety, stress or PTSD during the first pandemic wave. Younger therapists, those with less experience and those not living with children were at highest risk. Managers should target support to these groups.
• SLPOther2022Mastication in Patients with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Types 2 and 3 is Characterized by Abnormal Efficiency, Reduced Endurance, and Fatigue.DysphagiaNon-ambulant patients with SMA types 2 and 3 chewed inefficiently, reported fatigue during a six-minute chewing test, and did not always report problems. Ambulant patients chewed normally. Questionnaires alone may miss chewing problems.
• SLPCase Series2022Is There a Role for Topical Swallowed Steroids upon Emergency Room Admission for Suspected Food Bolus Obstruction in Eosinophilic Esophagitis?DysphagiaIn eight emergency patients given swallowed budesonide for suspected food bolus obstruction, 38% had the bolus not observed at endoscopy or symptoms resolved before endoscopy. Five needed endoscopic removal. No control group means this does not prove the steroid worked.
• PTOTSLPOther2022Finnish Version of the Eating Assessment Tool (F-EAT-10): A Valid and Reliable Patient-reported Outcome Measure for Dysphagia Evaluation.DysphagiaThe Finnish EAT-10 is a reliable, 30-second screening tool for dysphagia. A score of 3 or more flags likely swallowing problems. It correlates well with clinical severity ratings, though it is a weaker predictor of specific aspiration events on endoscopy.
• SLPOther2022Early Post-operative Feeding: An Investigation of Early Functional Outcomes for Oral Cancer Patients Treated with Surgical Resection and Free Flap Reconstruction.DysphagiaPatients undergoing free flap reconstruction for oral cancer were seen by speech therapists on day one. 86% tolerated fluids, and median hospital stay was 10 days. Fistula rates remained low at 10%, supporting early oral trials under clinical supervision.
• SLPCohort2022Dysphagia limit in children with cerebral palsy aged 4 to 12 years.Developmental medicine and child neurologyChildren with cerebral palsy swallowed far smaller amounts of water at once than typically developing peers. Even those classified as eating and drinking safely had a median limit of 7mL, compared to 22mL in typical children.
• SLPCase Report2021Silver-Russell syndrome: clinical, neurodevelopmental and communication characteristics: clinical case studies.CoDASThree young boys with Silver-Russell syndrome had ongoing feeding and oral motor concerns, lower motor and expressive language performance than expected, and better understanding than speech output.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2021Relation of sensory processing and stomatognical system of oral respiratory children.CoDASMouth-breathing children showed significantly more sensory processing dysfunction than nasal-breathing peers, especially in balance and movement. This may contribute to head movements and food escape during eating. Screen for sensory issues in mouth-breathers who struggle with mealtimes.
• SLPOther2021Multiprofessional screening protocol for dysphagia in patients with HIV infection: elaboration and content validity.CoDASA new 16-item screening questionnaire for swallowing problems in HIV patients was judged clear and relevant by experts and hospital staff. It passed content validation but has not yet been tested on actual patients to see if it accurately detects dysphagia.
• SLPCohort2021Factors Influencing Oral Bolus Hold Type: Tipper or Dipper.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsMost healthy adults hold a liquid bolus on the tongue tip (tipper), but holding it under the tongue (dipper) is also normal. Dipper patterns were more common in men and adults over 50. Clinicians should not label a dipper hold as abnormal if the patient moves the bolus effectively.
• SLPCase Report2021Dysphagia due to anterior cervical osteophytosis: case report.CoDASA 66-year-old man with dysphagia caused by large cervical bone spurs responded to conservative management. Speech therapy using chin tuck maneuvers and diet texture modification resolved his swallowing issues, allowing him to avoid surgery and maintain safe eating for two years.
• SLPCohort2022Determining the Relationship Between Hyoid Bone Kinematics and Airway Protection in Swallowing.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRHyoid bone movement alone does not predict aspiration risk once laryngeal closure is accounted for. Clinicians should prioritize whether the larynx closes completely and how quickly it does so, rather than relying on hyoid excursion measures to judge swallowing safety.