2018 Volume 9 Pages 43-51
Akahori R, Kagaya H, Ozeki M, Shibata S, Aoyagi Y, Onogi K, Saitoh E. Dysphagia associated with acute-phase brainstem cerebrovascular disorder. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2018; 9: 43-51.
Objective: To elucidate the details of dysphagia associated with acute-phase brainstem cerebrovascular disorders.
Methods: A total of 207 patients with brainstem cerebrovascular disorder that had developed within the past 3 days were examined at the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. The median duration of hospital stay was 20 days. The most common lesion site was the pons in 168 patients and the lateral medulla in 25. A total of 167 patients had no history of cerebrovascular disorder in any part of the brain other than the brainstem (CVD−), and 40 patients had such a history (CVD+). A retrospective survey of these patients was conducted to identify the dysphagia severity scale (DSS) scores, eating status scale (ESS) scores, food texture, seating positions during meals, onset of pneumonia during follow-up, and functional independence measure (FIM).
Results: A total of 51% of CVD− patients and 64% of CVD+ patients had dysphagia, and DSS, ESS, food texture, and FIM scores at discharge all showed improvement at a significance level of 5%. No significant differences in DSS, ESS, and pneumonia incidence were observed between the CVD− and CVD+ patients.
Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that dysphagia can be improved even in patients with both CVD+ and CVD− acute-phase brainstem cerebrovascular disorders.
