Relation Between Initiation of Pharyngeal Response and Lateralization of Brain Injury in Stroke

Abstract

The central nervous system is bilaterally neuromotor control of swallowing and the cerebral cortex activates the oral and pharyngeal phases. Although the main findings of oropharyngeal swallowing and location of the lesion in stroke have been related in some studies, are still necessary investigations involving the cortical lesion and changes in the swallowing. The aim of this research is to relate the initiation of pharyngeal response with the consistency of food and lateralization of brain injury in post-stroke individual diagnosed with oropharyngeal dysphagia. This study will be analyzed approximately 150 videofluoroscopic swallowing examinations of individuals post ischemic, acute or chronic stroke with neurological diagnosis confirmed by medical, clinical and neuroimaging examinations. Will be part of this database exams of three dysphagia reference centers in Brazil. They will be divided into two groups, according to the lateralization of the cortical lesion, with group 1 (G1) will have 75 individuals with left cortical lesion, and group 2 (G2) of 75 subjects with right cortical lesion. The examinations of G1 and G2 will be analyzed considering the consistency of liquid, thickened liquid and paste. To check the initiation of pharyngeal response, the exams will be scanned and subsequently analyzed using custom computer software and two judges trained in the procedure. The initiation of pharyngeal response to be considered should follow the statistical average and correlation analysis between the judges. The results will be statistically analyzed through application of association and / or correlation between G1 and G2, depending on the consistency tested, and the pharyngeal response time.