This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Dysphagia is a disorder of swallowing that can affect both oral and pharyngeal phases and is common following acute stroke. Dysphagia can be a major source of disability impacting diet, nutrition, hydration, and pulmonary status. Although dysphagia is common in post-stroke patients and complications of dysphagia increase morbidity and mortality, neurological predictors of dysphagia recovery (clinical swallowing, neurocognitive deficits, lesion size and location) have not been studied in stroke patients examined at successive time intervals. Given that dysphagia can affect quality of life and prolong hospitalization, it is important that we identify factors that may predict which patients are at risk for persistent dysphagia. The major goal of this research program is to determine whether specific clinical swallowing features, neurocognitive characteristics, and lesion locations indentified on volumetric MRI predict acute and protracted dysphagia identified on videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VSS) in unilateral right hemispheric damaged and left hemispheric damaged stroke patients. Identifying an accurate and complete model for neuroanatomical functioning will contribute to a better understanding of the neuroanatomical control of swallowing. A clearer construct of the swallowing screening, neurobehavioral, and neuroanatomical components that are associated with dysphagia in acute and chronic stroke patients will expedite service delivery and guide therapeutic intervention in that service providers will be able to identify which neurologically impaired patients are at increased risk for severe and protracted dysphagia.
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