Difficulty swallowing affects about one-third of patients with multiple sclerosis.
April 8, 2020
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, after a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is a common symptom and is estimated to affect one-third of the patients with MS. A recent review described the strategies used to identify and assess swallowing dysfunctions in MS patients with dysphagia and said that new tools are needed.
Swallowing may be impaired in MS as a result of lesions in corticobulbar tracts, paresis of cranial nerves, disorders of cerebellum and brainstem, and cognitive dysfunctions. Dysphagia may cause serious complications such as aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and airway obstruction. Patients may have difficulty swallowing and not realize it, the authors said, making screening essential.
Assessment for dysphagia is essential as it may reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia, improve health outcomes, and lower healthcare costs.
The authors categorized screening strategies into 2 types:
Clinical, non-instrumental strategies, to verify the presence and to determine the severity and cause of dysphagia
Instrumental strategies, which complement clinical examination to provide objective data
While a variety of non-instrumental screening tools are available, only the Dysphagia in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire (DYMUS) and the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) are validated specifically for MS-related dysphagia, the authors said.
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April 8, 2020
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, after a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis is a common symptom and is estimated to affect one-third of the patients with MS. A recent review described the strategies used to identify and assess swallowing dysfunctions in MS patients with dysphagia and said that new tools are needed.
Swallowing may be impaired in MS as a result of lesions in corticobulbar tracts, paresis of cranial nerves, disorders of cerebellum and brainstem, and cognitive dysfunctions. Dysphagia may cause serious complications such as aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and airway obstruction. Patients may have difficulty swallowing and not realize it, the authors said, making screening essential.
Assessment for dysphagia is essential as it may reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia, improve health outcomes, and lower healthcare costs.
The authors categorized screening strategies into 2 types:
Clinical, non-instrumental strategies, to verify the presence and to determine the severity and cause of dysphagia
Instrumental strategies, which complement clinical examination to provide objective data
While a variety of non-instrumental screening tools are available, only the Dysphagia in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire (DYMUS) and the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) are validated specifically for MS-related dysphagia, the authors said.
CONTINUE reading
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