Clinical trial NCT00001718: Facilitation of Oral Bolus Propulsion Using Electropalatography in Patients With Dysphagia
Official title: Facilitation of Oral Bolus Propulsion Using Electropalatography in Patients With Dysphagia
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Deglutition Disorders
Dysphagia
Keywords: Biofeedback
Swallowing
Swallowing Therapy
Tongue/Palate
Ultrasound
Dysphagia
Lead sponsor: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 2002-12-10
Enrollment: 10
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary: Electropalatography (EPG), a noninvasive device that provides specific visual output on tongue-palate contact, has well-established usefulness as a biofeedback tool in speech therapy. While EPG has also been shown to be capable of revealing the details of linguopalatal interactions during swallowing, its applicability in swallowing therapy has not been evaluated to date. This study will determine if EPG can facilitate bolus propulsion in patients presenting with swallowing problems of the oral phase. Seven patients with oral dysphagia will be selected to serve as subjects based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and each will be custom-fitted with a pseudo-palate. Each patient will undergo four 45-minute sessions of biofeedback training with emphasis on developing systematic front-to-back anchoring of the tongue against the palate during propulsion of liquid and semisolid boluses. Ultrasound imaging will be used to determine swallow durations and identify oral deficits of swallowing before the EPG biofeedback training, and to identify any changes that may result from the training. Quantitative measurements will also be made of the swallow-related EPG contact timing and pattern before and after training and compared for each individual subject as a function of training and bolus volume. Appropriate statistical analyses will be conducted.

Detailed description: Electropalatography (EPG), a noninvasive device that provides specific visual output on tongue-palate contact, has well-established usefulness as a biofeedback tool in speech therapy. While EPG has also been shown to be capable of revealing the details of linguopalatal interactions during swallowing, its applicability in swallowing therapy has not been evaluated to date. This study will determine if EPG can facilitate bolus propulsion in patients presenting with swallowing problems of the oral phase. Ten patients with oral dysphagia will be selected to serve as subjects based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and each will be custom-fitted with a pseudo-palate. Each patient will undergo four 45-minute sessions of biofeedback training with emphasis on developing systematic front-to-back anchoring of the tongue against the palate during propulsion of liquid and semisolid boluses. Ultrasound imaging will be used to determine swallow durations and identify oral deficits of swallowing before the EPG biofeedback training, and to identify any changes that may result from the training. Quantitative measurements will also be made of the swallow-related EPG contact timing and pattern before and after training and compared for each individual subject as a function of training and bolus volume. Appropriate statistical analyses will be conducted.

Eligibility criteria: Patients who have undergone comprehensive swallowing evaluations (i.e., ultrasound and/or videofluoroscopic swallow studies, oral sensorimotor examination, and swallowing questionnaire) in the Speech Pathology Section and have been found to have dysphagia with prominent oral signs.

All subjects must be alert and oriented to time and place, able to ingest food by mouth, and have intact or aided hearing and vision.

No patients that exhibit oral apraxia, dementia, aphasia, behavioral problems, and endentousness.

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Bethesda
country: United States
facility: Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center (CC)
state: Maryland
Study officials:
References:
citation: Chi-Fishman G, Stone M. A new application for electropalatography: swallowing. Dysphagia. 1996 Fall;11(4):239-47. doi: 10.1007/BF00265208.
citation: Chi-Fishman G, Stone M, McCall GN. Lingual action in normal sequential swallowing. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 1998 Aug;41(4):771-85. doi: 10.1044/jslhr.4104.771.
citation: Logemann JA, Kahrilas PJ, Hurst P, Davis J, Krugler C. Effects of intraoral prosthetics on swallowing in patients with oral cancer. Dysphagia. 1989;4(2):118-20. doi: 10.1007/BF02407156.