Bolus Transition During Oropharyngeal Swallowing after Unilateral Cortical Stroke

Abstract

Purpose Bolus transition during swallowing represents neuromuscular coordination between oropharyngeal structures and bolus movement. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference between stroke patients with left and right hemisphere lesion in terms of oral and pharyngeal transitions using oral transit time (OTT), pharyngeal transit time (PTT), and duration of upper esophageal sphincter opening (DUESO) during swallowing. Methods Thirty-four unilateral cortical stroke patients were divided into two groups depending on the hemispheric site of the lesion. Means and standard deviations of OTT, PTT, and DUESO were measured on 2 mL and 5 mL of thin liquid swallows from videofluoroscopic swallowing examinations (VFSEs). Statistical comparison was performed by repeated measurements of analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significance level was set at <0.025. Results In OTT, PTT, and DUESO, there was no significant difference between left and right hemispheric stroke groups. There was a significant bolus volume effect on OTT and DUESO. Conclusions The site of the lesion may not affect the transition of bolus during oropharyngeal swallowing. Clinicians should not only examine physiological swallowing disorders of individual patients regardless of hemispheric site of the lesion, but also investigate various volumes during VFSEs in order to find the proper diet recommendation. Keywords: Bolus transition; Oral stage; Pharyngeal stage; Swallowing; Unilateral stroke