Facilitation of Oral Bolus Propulsion Using Electropalatography in Patients With Dysphagia

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Deglutition Disorders; Dysphagia
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Electropalatography

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
      • Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center (CC)

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: ADULT; OLDER_ADULT; CHILD
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

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.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Chi-Fishman G, Stone M. A new application for electropalatography: swallowing. Dysphagia. 1996 Fall;11(4):239-47. doi: 10.1007/BF00265208.
• 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.
• 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.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 1998
• Study Completion: June 1, 2000

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 3, 1999
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 9, 2002
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): December 10, 2002

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): March 4, 2008
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 3, 2008
• Last Verified: July 1, 1999

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Ultrasound; Dysphagia; Biofeedback; Swallowing; Swallowing Therapy; Tongue/Palate
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Pharyngeal Diseases; Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases; Esophageal Diseases; Deglutition Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 980135; 98-CC-0135