Masahiro Nakamori1, Naohisa Hosomi2, Sachiko Takaki3, Masaya Oda3, Aya Hiraoka4, Mineka Yoshikawa4, Hayato Matsushima5, Kazuhide Ochi5, Kazuhiro Tsuga4, Hirofumi Maruyama5, Yuishin Izumi6, Masayasu Matsumoto5. 1. Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan; Mifukai Viha-ra Hananosato Hospital, Miyoshi, Japan. 2. Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan. Electronic address: nhosomi@hiroshima-u.ac.jp. 3. Mifukai Viha-ra Hananosato Hospital, Miyoshi, Japan. 4. Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan. 5. Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan. 6. Mifukai Viha-ra Hananosato Hospital, Miyoshi, Japan; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Dysphagia is a critical issue in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. An evaluation of swallowing function is important for assessing the risk of aspiration. We investigated the validity of tongue sonography compared with videofluoroscopic examination for ALS patients. METHODS: We investigated 18 ALS patients. Nine subjects underwent repeated investigations. All of the subjects underwent tongue sonography and videofluoroscopic examination. Additionally, tongue sonography was evaluated in 18 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. To determine tongue thickness, we measured the vertical distance from the surface of the mylohyoid muscle to the tongue dorsum using ultrasonography. RESULTS: In the ALS patients, the tongue was significantly thinner than in healthy subjects. Tongue thickness was associated with body mass index and onset type in the ALS patients (p=0.006). Temporal analyses of videofluoroscopy revealed that tongue thickness was associated with oral preparatory and transit time (p=0.032) but not with pharyngeal transit time. Repeated measurement data revealed a decrease in tongue thickness over the course of the measurements (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In ALS patients, reduced tongue thickness suggests disease progression and tongue dysfunction. SIGNIFICANCE: Tongue sonography is a useful modality for the non-invasive and quantitative evaluation of tongue thickness and dysphagia in ALS patients.
OBJECTIVE:Dysphagia is a critical issue in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. An evaluation of swallowing function is important for assessing the risk of aspiration. We investigated the validity of tongue sonography compared with videofluoroscopic examination for ALSpatients. METHODS: We investigated 18 ALSpatients. Nine subjects underwent repeated investigations. All of the subjects underwent tongue sonography and videofluoroscopic examination. Additionally, tongue sonography was evaluated in 18 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. To determine tongue thickness, we measured the vertical distance from the surface of the mylohyoid muscle to the tongue dorsum using ultrasonography. RESULTS: In the ALSpatients, the tongue was significantly thinner than in healthy subjects. Tongue thickness was associated with body mass index and onset type in the ALSpatients (p=0.006). Temporal analyses of videofluoroscopy revealed that tongue thickness was associated with oral preparatory and transit time (p=0.032) but not with pharyngeal transit time. Repeated measurement data revealed a decrease in tongue thickness over the course of the measurements (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In ALSpatients, reduced tongue thickness suggests disease progression and tongue dysfunction. SIGNIFICANCE: Tongue sonography is a useful modality for the non-invasive and quantitative evaluation of tongue thickness and dysphagia in ALSpatients.
Authors: C E McIlduff; M G Martucci; C Shin; K Qi; A K Pacheck; H Gutierrez; M Mortreux; S B Rutkove Journal: Clin Neurophysiol Date: 2020-07-17 Impact factor: 3.708
Authors: Richard Smith; Erik Pioro; Kathleen Myers; Michael Sirdofsky; Kimberly Goslin; Gregg Meekins; Hong Yu; James Wymer; Merit Cudkowicz; Eric A Macklin; David Schoenfeld; Gary Pattee Journal: Neurotherapeutics Date: 2017-07 Impact factor: 7.620