MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory Research Articles

Adherence to Home-Based Swallowing Therapy Using a Mobile System in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.

Purpose A large knowledge gap related to dysphagia treatment adherence was identified by a recent systematic review: Few existing studies report on adherence, and current adherence tracking relies heavily on patient self-report. This study aimed to report weekly adherence and dysphagia-specific quality of life following home-based swallowing therapy in head and neck cancer (HNC). Method This was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. Patients who were at least 3 months post-HNC treatment were enrolled in swallowing therapy using a mobile health (mHealth) swallowing system equipped with surface electromyography (sEMG) biofeedback. Participants completed a home dysphagia exercise program across 6 weeks, with a target of 72 swallows per day split between three different exercise types. Adherence was calculated as percent trials completed of trials prescribed. The M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) was administered before and after therapy. Results Twenty participants (75% male), with an average age of 61.9 years (SD = 8.5), completed the study. The majority had surgery ± adjuvant (chemo)radiation therapy for oral (10%), oropharyngeal (80%), or other (10%) cancers. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, adherence to the exercise regimen remained high from 84% in Week 1 to 72% in Week 6. Radiation therapy, time since cancer treatment, medical difficulties, and technical difficulties were all found to be predictive of poorer adherence at Week 6. A statistically significant improvement was found for composite, emotional, and physical MDADI subscales. Conclusions When using an mHealth system with sEMG biofeedback, adherence rates to home-based swallowing exercise remained at or above 72% over a 6-week treatment period. Dysphagia-specific quality of life improved following this 6-week treatment program.

Validity and Reliability of an Arabic Version of MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI).

Dysphagia is a common adverse event among head and neck (H&N) cancer patients. We aimed, for the first time, to validate the Arabic version of the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) among 82 Saudi Arabian patients with H&N cancer. We followed established validation guidelines and translated the 20-item MDADI using the forward-backward method. Our results revealed 100% feasibility. Test-retest reliability demonstrated acceptable interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for the subscale domains (emotional = 0.973, physical = 0.971, and functional = 0.956) and composite score (ICC = 0.984). The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the emotional, functional, and physical subscales were 0.937, 0.825, and 0.945, respectively (composite score = 0.975). We confirmed concurrent validity by demonstrating significant correlations between the domains of the Arabic MDADI and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life Head and Neck Module (QLQ-H&N35). Our study validated the Arabic version of the MDADI among H&N cancer patients from Saudi Arabia.

Improvement in Dysphagia Outcomes Following Clinical Target Volume Reduction in the De-ESCALaTE Study

AimsThe De-ESCALaTE study showed an overall survival advantage for the administration of synchronous cisplatin chemotherapy with radiotherapy in low-risk oropharyngeal cancer when compared with synchronous cetuximab. During the trial, a radiotherapy quality assurance protocol amendment permitted centres to swap from the original radiotherapy contouring protocol (incorporating the whole oropharynx into the high-dose clinical target volume (CTV); anatomical protocol) to a protocol that incorporated the gross tumour volume with a 10 mm margin into the CTV (volumetric protocol). The purpose of this study was to examine both toxicity and tumour control related to this protocol amendment. Materials and methodsOverall survival and recurrence at 2 years were used to compare tumour control in the two contouring cohorts. For toxicity, the cohorts were compared by both the number of severe (grades 3–5) and all grades acute and late toxicities. In addition, quality of life and swallowing were compared using EORTC-C30 and MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory, respectively. ResultsOf 327 patients included in this study, 185 were contoured according to the anatomical protocol and 142 by the volumetric protocol. The two cohorts were well balanced, with the exception of significantly more patients in the anatomical cohort undergoing prophylactic feeding tube insertion (P < 0.001). With a minimum of 2 years of follow-up there was no significant difference in overall survival or recurrence between the two contouring protocols. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the rate of reported severe or all grades acute or late toxicity and no sustained significant difference in quality of life. However, there was a significant difference in favour of volumetric contouring in several domains of the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory questionnaire at 1 year, which persisted to 2 years in the dysphagia functional (P = 0.002), dysphagia physical (P = 0.009) and dysphagia overall function (P = 0.008) domains. ConclusionIn the context of the unplanned post-hoc analysis of a randomised trial, measurable improvement in long-term dysphagia has been shown following a reduction in the CTV. Further reductions in the CTV should be subject to similar scrutiny within the confines of a prospective study.

Cultural Adaptation and Validation of Questionnaires for Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life with Dysphagia in Different Countries: A Systematic Review.

Dysphagia can have devastating and long-lasting effects on the patient's health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In recent years, a number of questionnaires for the evaluation of the HRQoL of patients with dysphagia have been developed and have been adapted for use in different countries and cultures. However, problems may arise in the process of cultural adaptation and validation, which can affect the quality of the questionnaires and their measurements. This study was conducted to systematically summarize the cultural adaptation and validation of questionnaires for the evaluation of dysphagia-related HRQoL in different countries, assessing the varieties, measurement properties, and qualities of these questionnaires, with the aim of identifying the status of their adaptation and validation and ways in which they might be improved. Four databases were searched, and relevant articles were screened, with data from eligible reports extracted and reviewed. The methodological quality of the included articles was evaluated using the QualSyst critical appraisal tool. The HRQoL questionnaires for patients with dysphagia were assessed using the quality criteria for the measurement properties of health status questionnaires proposed by Terwee et al. and Timmerman et al. 29 studies published between 2008 and 2020 were included. The questionnaires described in these 29 studies were translated into 19 languages and culturally adapted to 21 countries. The adapted questionnaires were based on the Swallowing quality of life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) by Mchorney et al., the Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI) by Silbergleit et al., the M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) by Chen et al., and the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) by Belafsky et al. It was found that the questionnaires were reliable and valid instruments for the assessment of dysphagia-related HRQoL, but the quality criteria for cultural adaptation and validation were not strictly followed, especially in the categories of criterion validity, agreement, responsiveness, and interpretability. In conclusion, although the questionnaires were found to be both reliable and valid, the quality criteria should be considered and strictly followed in the cultural adaptation and validation process in the future.

Free flap for soft palate reconstruction: long-term functional evaluation of a new technique

PurposeThe soft palate (SP) has a complex anatomy and physiology. Reconstruction after tumour resection is a challenge, and procedures that only restore bulk don’t give good results. We aim to present a new technique for the in-setting and the functional outcomes.MethodsWe retrospectively included in a monocentric retrospective cohort study every patient with a first diagnosis of a soft palate squamous cell carcinoma (SPSCC), who underwent a tumoral resection with a free flap reconstruction, from February 2013 to July 2017. For the in-setting, a special care is given for the flap in-setting: we suture the flap more caudally than usual under the tongue base, creating a neo-posterior pilar. The primary outcome was the deglutition function, assessed by the M. D Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). We also analyzed the patient’s quality of life with the FOSS score and the occurrence of nasal regurgitation or larynx aspiration.ResultsWe included twenty patients, with a median follow-up of 26.5 months. The median MDADI score was 89, and the mode was 93. A Fisher test shows a significant improvement of MDADI scores for unilateral vs bilateral reconstructions (p = 0.03). The median FOSS score was 2, and the mode was 2. Seven (35%) patients complained of nasal regurgitation, three (15%) reported episodic laryngeal aspiration.

Proton Beam Therapy for Head and Neck Carcinoma of Unknown Primary: Toxicity and Quality of Life.

PurposeProton radiation therapy (PRT) may offer dosimetric and clinical benefit in the treatment of head and neck carcinoma of unknown primary (HNCUP). We sought to describe toxicity and quality of life (QOL) in patients with HNCUP treated with PRT.Patients and MethodsToxicity and QOL were prospectively tracked in patients with HNCUP from 2011 to 2019 after institutional review board approval. Patients received PRT to the mucosa of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and bilateral cervical lymph nodes with sparing of the larynx and hypopharynx. Patient-reported outcomes were tracked with the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory–Head and Neck Module, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Head and Neck, the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory, and the Xerostomia-Related QOL Scale. Primary study endpoints were the incidence of grade ≥ 3 (G3) toxicity and QOL patterns.ResultsFourteen patients (median follow-up, 2 years) were evaluated. Most patients presented with human papillomavirus–positive disease (n = 12, 86%). Rates of G3 oral mucositis, xerostomia, and dermatitis were 7% (n = 1), 21% (n = 3), and 36% (n = 5), respectively. None required a gastrostomy. During PRT, QOL was reduced relative to baseline and recovered shortly after PRT. At 2 years after PRT, the local regional control, disease-free survival, and overall survival were 100% (among 7 patients at risk), 79% (among 6 patients at risk), and 90% (among 7 patients at risk), respectively.ConclusionTherefore, PRT for HNCUP was associated with highly favorable dosimetric and clinical outcomes, including minimal oral mucositis, xerostomia, and dysphagia. Toxicity and QOL may be superior with PRT compared with conventional radiation therapy and PRT maintains equivalent oncologic control. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate late effects and cost-effectiveness.

Clinical effectiveness of the sequential 4-channel NMES compared with that of the conventional 2-channel NMES for the treatment of dysphagia in a prospective double-blind randomized controlled study

BackgroundTo date, conventional swallowing therapies and 2-channel neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) are standard treatments for dysphagia. The precise mechanism of 2-channel NMES treatment has not been determined, and there are controversies regarding the efficacy of this therapy. The sequential 4-channel NMES was recently developed and its action is based on the normal contractile sequence of swallowing-related muscles.ObjectiveTo evaluate and compare the rehabilitative effectiveness of the sequential 4-channel NMES with that of conventional 2-channel NMES.MethodsIn this prospective randomized case–control study, 26 subjects with dysphagia were enrolled. All participants received 2- or 4-channel NMES for 2–3 weeks (minimal session: 7 times, treatment duration: 300–800 min). Twelve subjects in the 4-channel NMES group and eleven subjects in the 2-channel NMES group completed the intervention. Initial and follow-up evaluations were performed using the videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS), the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS), the MD Anderson dysphagia inventory (MDADI), the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), and the Likert scale.ResultsThe sequential 4-channel NMES group experienced significant improvement in their VDS (oral, pharyngeal, and total), PAS, FOIS, and MDADI (emotional, functional, and physical subsets) scores, based on their pretreatment data. VDS (oral, pharyngeal, and total) and MDADI (emotional and physical subsets) scores, but not PAS and FOIS scores, significantly improved in the 2-channel NMES group posttreatment. When the two groups were directly compared, the 4-channel NMES group showed significant improvement in oral and total VDS scores.ConclusionsThe sequential 4-channel NMES, through its activation of the suprahyoid and thyrohyoid muscles, and other infrahyoid muscles mimicking physiological activation, may be a new effective treatment for dysphagia.Trial registration: clinicaltrial.gov, registration number: NCT03670498, registered 13 September 2018, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03670498?term=NCT03670498&draw=2&rank=1.

Adaptation and Validation of the Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity for Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing: DIGEST-FEES.

Purpose While flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is a common clinical procedure used in the head and neck cancer (HNC) population, extant outcome measures for FEES such as bolus-level penetration-aspiration and residue scores are not well suited as global patient-level endpoint measures of dysphagia severity in cooperative group trials or clinical outcomes research. The Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity (DIGEST) was initially developed and validated for use during videofluoroscopic evaluations as a way to grade safety, efficiency, and overall pharyngeal swallowing impairment. The purpose of this study was to adapt and validate DIGEST for use with FEES. Method A modified Delphi exercise was conducted for content validation, expert consensus, adaptation, and operationalization of DIGEST-FEES. Three blinded, expert raters then evaluated 100 de-identified post-HNC treatment FEES examinations. Intra- and interrater reliability were tested with quadratic weighted kappa. Criterion validity against the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory, Functional Oral Intake Scale, Secretion Severity Scale, and Yale Residue Rating Scale was assessed with Spearman correlation coefficients. Results Interrater reliability was almost perfect for overall DIGEST-FEES grade (κw = 0.83) and safety grade (κw = 0.86) and substantial for efficiency grade (κw = 0.74). Intrarater reliability was excellent for all raters (0.9-0.91). Overall DIGEST-FEES grade correlated with MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (r = -.43, p < .0001), Functional Oral Intake Scale (r = -.43, p < .0001), Secretion Severity Scale (r = .47, p < .0001), Yale Vallecular Residue (r = .73, p < .0001), and Yale Pyriform Sinus Residue (r = .65, p < .0001). Conclusion DIGEST-FEES is a valid and reliable scale to describe the severity of pharyngeal dysphagia in patients with HNC. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14642787.

Quality of life analysis of HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer patients in a randomized trial of reduced-dose (rdCRT) versus standard (sdCRT) chemoradiotherapy: Five-year follow-up.

6062 Background: Human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal cancer (HPV OPC) portends a more favorable prognosis compared to HPV-negative cases. To prevent overtreatment, long-term morbidity and deterioration in functionality and quality of life (QoL), multiple studies have focused on de-intensification techniques for HPV OPC treatment. To this end, we prospectively assessed differences in patient reported QoL in locally advanced HPV OPC patients receiving rdCRTversus sdCRT)in a randomized trial using a sequential therapy plan. Methods: Patients were enrolled between December 2012 and February 2016; received 3 cycles of induction docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-FU; and were randomized to sdCRT (70 Gy) or rdCRT (56 Gy) with weekly carboplatin. Patients were followed for Progression Free Survival (PFS), Overall Survival (OS), and changes in QoL as assessed by the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI), MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI Head and Neck), Xerostomia Questionnaire (XQ), and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) with the head and neck module (EORTC HN). A mixed model ANOVA was used to estimate changes from baseline QoL to that at each follow-up timepoint and to compare the difference in QoL changes between the treatment arms. Results: We randomized 20 HPV+ locally advanced (LA) patients (median age: 56.5 yrs) to rdCRT (12 subjects) or sdCRT (8 subjects). 70% had high risk features. At a median follow-up of 81.5 mos, PFS and OS were 87.5% and 83.3% for sdCRT and rdCRT, respectively with a median OS of 76 mos in both arms. One patient in the sdCRT arm developed an HPV negative retromolar trigone squamous cell cancer in the radiation field 7 yrs after therapy. Baseline QoL was identical in the 15 patients who completed the QoL modules. Patients receiving rdCRT hadsignificantly lower declines in QoL scores at 3-6 month follow-up. At 5 yrs, differences in QoL changes all favored the rdCRT arm (Table) and two QoL scales reached statistical significance (P&lt;0.05). Conclusions: In HPV OPC patients, rdCRT resulted in comparable long-term survival and greater improvement in specific domains of QoL when compared to sdCRT. Our results support the need for a larger, long-term Phase 3 study in LA HPVOPC to assess these two treatments with respect to survival, QoL, and safety. Clinical trial information: NCT02945631. [Table: see text]

Prediction of Speech, Swallowing, and Quality of Life in Oral Cavity Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study.

To investigate the impact of specific treatment-related variables on functional and quality of life outcomes in oral cavity cancer (OCC) patients. Retrospective Cohort. Patients with primary OCC at least 6 months after resection and adjuvant therapy were included. Patients completed surveys including the Speech Handicap Index (SHI), M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck (FACT-HN). Performance Status Scale (PSS) and tongue mobility scale were completed to allow provider-rated assessment of speech and tongue mobility, respectively. Additional details regarding treatment were also collected. These data were used to generate a predictive model using linear regression. Fifty-three patients with oral tongue and/or floor of mouth (FOM) resection were included in our study. In multivariable analysis, greater postoperative tongue range of motion (ROM) and time since treatment improved SHI. Flap reconstruction and greater postoperative tongue ROM increased MDADI and PSS (eating and speech). A larger volume of resected tissue was inversely correlated with PSS (diet and speech). Tumor site was an important predictor of PSS (all sections). There were no statistically significant predictors of FACT-HN. In this pilot study, we propose a battery of tools to assess function in OCC patients treated with surgery. Using the battery of tools we propose, our results show that a surgical endpoint that preserves tongue mobility and employs flap reconstruction resulted in better outcomes, whereas those with greater volume of tissue resected and FOM involvement resulted in poorer outcomes. Larger prospective studies are needed to validate our findings. 3 Laryngoscope, 131:2497-2504, 2021.

Quality of life in obese patients after thyroidectomy for goiter

Compressive symptoms are common in thyroid disease. Many studies have focused on the size of the gland and its effects on patients. However, few have taken into account the body mass of the patient. The aim of our study was to examine whether or not a patient's body mass index (BMI) influences symptomatic outcomes following thyroid surgery for benign disease. We conducted a prospective analysis evaluating 60 patients that underwent thyroidectomy for benign goiter (single or multinodular) disease. Patients were classified as obese, overweight, or normal based on BMI. Pre- and post-operative surveys were administered including the MRC breathlessness scale, M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI), and the ThyPRO quality of life questionnaire to evaluate dysphagia, dyspnea, and quality of life respectively. Patients classified as obese (n=37) scored significantly worse pre-operatively on MRC, MDADI, and ThyPRO surveys when compared to overweight (n=13) or normal weight (n=10) counterparts. Subjects in the obese group, but not the other groups, showed post-surgical improvement on both the MRC and MDADI surveys (P<0.0001). Similarly, obese subjects showed significant improvement on all 11 domains of the ThyPRO survey following surgery (P<0.0001), and overall degree of improvement was highly correlated with BMI among all subjects (r=0.60; P=0.0005). Obesity, as determined by BMI, is a critical factor to consider in the alleviation of compressive symptoms before and after thyroidectomy for goiter. Our analysis of survey data indicates obese subjects have increased benefit of surgery compared to their lighter counterparts.

Monopolar microelectrodes versus radiofrequency in posterior cordotomy for bilateral vocal fold paralysis

Background Bilateral abductor vocal fold paralysis (BAVFP) is an uncommon condition with potentially significant negative effects on breathing and quality of life. It presents as one of the most difficult problems for the laryngologist. Located at the crossroads of the airway and food passages, the larynx provides three important functions: airway protection, respiration, and phonation, which are affected by paralysis of one or both vocal folds. Aims The aims of treatment of BAVFP are to provide adequate airway, preservation of voice quality, and laryngeal competence. Patients and methods This is a randomized, prospective clinical trial that was carried out on 20 patients with BAVFP, who were subjected to endoscopic/assisted microscopic posterior cordotomy at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tanta University Hospital. The study was carried out from first February 2019 till April 2020. The patients were allocated into two groups: group A patients were operated with radiofrequency. Group B patients were operated with monopolar microelectrodes. Grade of dyspnea, exercise tolerance test, voice handicap index-10, MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory, and aspiration were evaluated preoperatively and 2 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. Results Both techniques were successful in postoperative glottic chink, exercise tolerance, dyspnea, and aspiration. There was a significant difference (P=0.007) between group A and group B at 3 months postoperative voice handicap index-10. Conclusion Both techniques could be used as an easy and cheap alternative in performing posterior transverse cordotomy.

Psychometric Properties of the MDADI\u2014A Preliminary Study of Whether Less is Truly More?

The MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) is a 20-item dysphagia-specific QOL questionnaire with four subscales: global, emotional, functional, and physical. It is widely used in clinical practice and in research; however, its psychometric properties have been under-researched. We aim to evaluate the organisation of the MDADI subscales and identify any redundant items. The MDADI is a routinely collected outcome measure at two centres in northeast England. Questionnaires completed at three months following treatment were extracted from these existing databases. Factor analysis was carried out with the aim of reducing redundancy among the set of questionnaire items. Cases with missing values were excluded. A total of 196 complete patient questionnaires were used in factor analysis. A one-factor model accounted for around 50% of the total variance in item responses. The top five endorsed items (abbreviated by the questionnaire item keywords: Excluded, Irritate, Esteem, Social, and Why) in this one factor appeared in three (emotional, functional, and physical) of the four supposed MDADI subscales, i.e. global, emotional, functional, and physical. Our results suggest an overlap of three MDADI subscales across the top five endorsed items. The content of the top five questions all appear related to the psychosocial aspects of swallowing. This implies some redundancy of the items in the original subscales of the questionnaire. Using the most endorsed items, it appears feasible to abbreviate the 20-item MDADI questionnaire to a 5-item “MiniDADI” questionnaire, which is likely to have greater utility in routine clinical practice outside of research settings.

Swallowing and communication outcomes following primary transoral robotic surgery.

Heterogeneity within studies examining transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) has made it challenging to make clear conclusions on functional outcomes. Infrequent use of instrumental swallow examinations compounds uncertainty surrounding the proposed functional advantage to TORS. A prospective cohort of 49 patients underwent speech and swallowing assessment 12 months following treatment for OPC. Patients were assessed using fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), clinician- and patient-reported outcomes. Participants were matched according to tumor site, T category, and age. Speech and swallowing outcomes were compared for those receiving TORS versus chemoradiation. When adjuvant radiotherapy to the primary site could be avoided, TORS demonstrated an advantage for feeding tube duration, secretion severity, penetration/aspiration, M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI), and airway protection. This explorative study suggests that a treatment philosophy of selecting patients for TORS where adjuvant therapy can be omitted or confined to the neck warrants further evaluation.

Comparison of Bazaz scale, Dysphagia Short Questionnaire, and Hospital for Special Surgery-Dysphagia and Dysphonia Inventory for Assessing Dysphagia Symptoms After Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery in Chinese Population.

Dysphagia is one of the most common complaints after anterior cervical spine surgery. The Bazaz scale, the Dysphagia Short Questionnaire (DSQ), and the Hospital for Special Surgery-Dysphagia and Dysphonia Inventory (HSS-DDI) were patient-reported outcome measures assessing the patients' perceptions of their swallowing functions after surgery. This prospective diagnostic test study aimed to compare these surveys' psychometric properties in the Chinese population. We evaluated 150 consecutive patients after anterior cervical spine surgery with the Bazaz scale, DSQ, HSS-DDI, and M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). The reliability and validity of the Bazaz scale, DSQ, and HSS-DDI were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the DSQ, Bazaz scale, and HSS-DDI were constructed using the MDADI as a reference criterion. Their areas under the curve (AUCs) were further analyzed. In total, 132 participants completed all of the surveys. The results showed that all surveys were significantly correlated with each other. The HSS-DDI and HSS-Dysphagia subscale showed near-perfect reliability (Cronbach α = 0.969 and 0.957, respectively). ROC curves showed both HSS-DDI and HSS-Dysphagia subscale had greater accuracy (AUCs > 0.9) in detecting mild dysphagia and moderate/severe dysphagia. The HSS-Dysphagia subscale achieved higher accuracy in assessing the dysphagia symptoms after anterior cervical spine surgery. The Bazaz scale was considered less accurate than other scales. Our results provided guidance for selecting the appropriate measuring tool during clinical and research practices.

The German Sydney Swallow Questionnaire : Reliability and validity in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia

HintergrundDer Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ) ist ein patientenbasierter Fragebogen zur Erhebung von subjektiven Beschwerden oropharyngealer Schluckstörungen unterschiedlicher Ursachen, mit starker inhalts-, konstrukt-, diskriminativer und prädiktiver Validität.Ziel der Arbeit/FragestellungZiel dieser Arbeit war die Überprüfung der Reliabilität und Validität der deutschen Fassung des Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ-G).Material und MethodeIn einer Kreuzvalidierungsstudie füllten 48 erwachsene deutschsprachige Patienten (12 Frauen/36 Männer) mit neurogen (n = 16), strukturell (n = 16) und funktionell (n = 16) bedingten Schluckstörungen den deutschen SSQ‑G und MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) aus. Die Reliabilität des SSQ‑G wurde anhand der internen Konsistenz mittels Cronbach‑α berechnet. Die Überprüfung der Kriterien- und der Konstruktvalidität erfolgte durch eine Kreuzvalidierung mittels Spearman-Korrelationskoeffizient.ErgebnisseDie interne Konsistenz des SSQ‑G war mit Cronbach-α = 0,94 exzellent. Die SSQ-G-Fragen 1 und 17 wiesen mit MDADI-Frage 1 einen moderat signifikanten bzw. hochsignifikanten Korrelationskoeffizienten von −0,43 und −0,45 auf (p < 0,5; p < 0,001). Zwischen Fragen 8, 11 und 12 des SSQ‑G und Fragen 7, 13 und 10 des MDADI lag mit Korrelationen von −0,48 bis −0,55 ein mittlerer bis starker hochsignifikanter Zusammenhang vor (p < 0,001). Somit wurden die Reliabilität, die Kriteriums- und Konstruktvalidität statistisch bestätigt.SchlussfolgerungMit der deutschen Version des SSQ (SSQ-G) können funktionsspezifische Schluckbeschwerden reliabel und valide erfasst werden. In Kombination mit Fragenbögen zur symptomspezifischen Lebensqualität wie dem MDADI ist somit eine differenziertere klinische Analyse von Schluckbeschwerden möglich.Zusatzmaterial onlineDie Online-Version dieses Beitrags (10.1007/s00106-021-01000-9) enthält die deutsche Fassung des Sydney Swallow Questionnaire. Beitrag und Zusatzmaterial stehen Ihnen auf www.springermedizin.de zur Verfügung. Bitte geben Sie dort den Beitragstitel in die Suche ein, das Zusatzmaterial finden Sie beim Beitrag unter „Ergänzende Inhalte“.

Endoscopic video-assisted transoral (EVAT) surgery of the oropharynx: clinical, oncological and functional outcomes.

Transoral surgery for suspected or proven oropharyngeal malignancies has increased significantly with the practice of transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) and transoral robotic surgery (TORS). An accepted alternative technique is endoscopic video-assisted transoral (EVAT) surgery. Our aim is to review the clinical, oncological and functional outcomes of this technique at our institution. 56 consecutive patients undergoing EVAT surgery as part of their cancer work up or treatment were reviewed, focusing on clinical, oncological, and functional outcomes. Patients had primary oropharyngeal cancer or carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) staged between T0-T3 and N0-N3. EVAT surgery identified a primary in 47.1% of CUP with p16 positive disease. Major haemorrhage occurred in 1.8%, with eight post-operative complications. 8.9% of patients developed locoregional recurrence. Mean MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory score was 76.4 following EVAT surgery, 68.8 after EVAT surgery + radiotherapy and 67.1 after EVAT surgery + chemoradiotherapy CONCLUSION: Early clinical, oncological and functional outcomes following EVAT surgery are comparable to TLM and TORS. 4 (case series).

The presence of dysphagia in patients with cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS): a subjective and objective study.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dysphagia in patients with cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS), characterizing this condition, both in its objective dimension and in terms of quality of life (QoL). A cross-sectional study was developed in 11 patients diagnosed of CANVAS. In all patients, clinical records were reviewed and the Eating assessment tool 10 (EAT-10) was performed as screening of oropharyngeal dysphagia. To evaluate the QoL impairment secondary to dysphagia, we applied the swallowing quality of life questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) and the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). To evaluate the deglutition mechanisms impaired, two objective-instrumental studies were performed: the volume-viscosity swallow test (V-VST) and the fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). 82% of the patients presented an abnormal EAT-10 score. A correlation was found between the EAT-10 and MDADI and between both QoL questionnaires. After the FEES and V-VST analysis, all 11 patients presented some degree of swallow effectiveness impairment, and most of them safety alterations as well. CANVAS remains an underestimated and underdiagnosed condition and the prevalence of swallowing disorders in those patients is higher than expected. Despite the possibility that EAT-10 works as a useful screening test to predict the results in the QoL questionnaires, the absence of correlation between QoL test and instrumental results suggests that to properly evaluate the patients swallowing status, objective instrumental procedures must be conducted.

Common mental disorders and patient-reported swallowing disorders following total laryngectomy

ABSTRACT Purpose: the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between patient-reported swallowing disorders and common mental disorders after total laryngectomy. Methods: fourteen patients of both genders and aged 66 ± 8.63 years were assessed after total laryngectomy. They were all asked about the perception of swallowing disorders and answered the Self-Reporting Questionnaire. Patients with swallowing complaints also answered the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory. The mean difference between groups was evaluated using the Mann-Whitney test, with a significance level of 5%. Results: the median of Self-Reporting Questionnaire total score was 3.00 [interquartile range: 0.00-5.00] and did not reflect the presence of common mental disorders. Five volunteers (35.7%) self-reported swallowing disorders and had a worse, although not significant (p = 0.15), performance on the Self-Reporting Questionnaire. The MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory indicated a limitation in the quality of life, with a greater impact of swallowing disorders in the emotional domain [median = 53.30; interquartile range: 33.30-74.95]. Conclusion: common mental disorders are not related to patient-reported swallowing disorders following total laryngectomy. However, patients with swallowing complaints had a negative impact on their quality of life, especially in the emotional domain.

Surgical rehabilitation of swallowing with polydimethylsiloxane injections after open partial horizontal laryngectomy: Long-term functional results and quality of life.

Swallowing disorders are common problems after partial laryngectomy. The aim of this study is to illustrate the long-term functional results of rehabilitation of swallowing by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) injection. Twenty-eight patients with dysphagia after partial laryngectomy who underwent injection of PDMS for rehabilitation of swallowing were included in the study. Impairment of swallowing and quality of life (QoL) were investigated with questionnaires: M. D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) and Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck Cancer (PSS-HNC). Functional results at fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) were analyzed using a modified penetration-aspiration scale. Mean follow-up was 8.5 years. Twenty-six patients showed an improvement at questionnaires (p < 0.001). Median improvement was 6 (p < 0.001) in the modified penetration-aspiration scale. Total laryngectomy was required in one patient. PDMS injection is a good option for rehabilitation of swallowing in case of dysphagia after partial laryngectomy. It improves QoL and the results persist after a long follow-up period.