| Abstract
Many people can experience difficulty with swallowing that may result in a
decreased quality of life and could ultimately cost them their lives. Dysphagia can occur
due to many different neurological diseases or conditions, such as Multiple Sclerosis,
Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, and traumatic brain injury. However,
dysphagia occurs most commonly post-cerebral vascular accident (CVA), also known as
a stroke. The present study examined the effects of an oral-motor exercise program on
oropharyngeal transit time and oral muscle strength to determine whether such exercises
were effective at improving swallowing function.
Three participants (Participant 1, 67 year old male; Participant 2, 65 year old
male; Participant 3, 90 year old female) residing within a nursing care facility and who
had been previously identified as having oropharyngeal dysphagia were assessed using
the Montreal Cognitive Assessment screener to determine individual ability to follow
directions. All participants exhibited mild cognitive involvement, commensurate with
age and physical condition. Participants were given a bedside evaluation that included
use of EMG to measure oropharyngeal transit time, as well as use of the Iowa Oral
Pressure Instrument (IOPI) to measure lingual strength, as well as swallow pressure and
swallow reserve. Labial strength and sustained /s/ were used as control measures. This
study was a replication of that performed by Dykman (2010).
Participants were placed into an 8 week training period following baseline
measures. Treatment included performing the Shaker Head Lift maneuver and the
Effortful Swallow, with measurements taken weekly. Participants 1 and 2 completed
the study, while Participant 3 terminated the study after the first week. Both participants
showed improvements in oropharyngeal transit time, but neither lingual pressure nor
swallow pressure changed consistently as a result of the treatment. This study supported
the findings of Dykman’s (2010) study in which a single individual who had suffered
cerebrovascular accident with subsequent dysphagia showed clear improvement in
oropharyngeal transit time |