Authors: White, Ruth¹; Cotton, Susan²; Hind, Jackie³; Robbins, JoAnne³; Perry, Alison⁴

Source: Dysphagia, Volume 24, Number 2, June 2009 , pp. 137-144(8)

Publisher: Springer

Abstract:

The ability to measure normality and abnormality and to accurately assess true changes in swallowing function over time, is important for the management of dysphagia. Despite this, there is a paucity of information regarding the stability and reliability of measurements tools used for dysphagia research. As both head and neck (H&N) cancer and its treatment(s) have been shown to significantly affect deglutitive tongue function, it is important that we have a reliable method to measure swallowing tongue function in this population. In this study we evaluate the reliability and stability of oro-lingual swallowing pressures captured from H&N cancer patients and from healthy, age- and gender-matched controls using the Kay Swallowing Workstation (KSW) fixed, three-transducer tongue pressure array. Significant differences between the two samples (H&N cancer and controls), with respect to mean peak oro-lingual pressures were recorded during swallowing. Furthermore, reliability of these measures was lower in H&N cancer patients. These differences highlight the importance of obtaining information about the reliability of dysphagia assessment tools with the specific population with whom they will be used.

Keywords: Reliability; Oro-lingual swallowing pressures; Head and neck cancer; Dysphagia; Deglutition; Deglutition disorders

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00455-008-9181-0

Affiliations: 1: Speech and Language Therapy Department, ABM University NHS Trust, Swansea, Wales, UK 2: Department of Psychiatry, ORYGEN Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Madison, WA, 53705, USA 4: School of Human Communication Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia, Email: A.Perry@latrobe.edu.au

Publication date: 2009-06-01

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