Swallowing Therapy

Dysphagia, or swallowing problems, affect up to 22% of individuals over age 55. Dysphagia affects a great many other people as well, including both children and adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), people with neurologic disorders, those who may have had a tracheostomy, and many others.

Treatment of dysphagia depends on its cause and in some cases may require medications or surgery. In many instances, however, particularly in those who may have suffered a stroke or other neurological impairment, swallowing therapy can be very effective.

Direct swallowing therapy entails learning to modify head and neck posture or placement of food in order to facilitate the swallowing process. Patients may also learn to strengthen the swallowing muscles or consciously control them during particular phases of the swallow. Training in feeding techniques, including modifications of the consistency of foods, can be an important part of achieving safe swallowing.

Protocol 201

Protocol 201 is a major swallowing research program aimed at improving our understanding of swallowing disorders and treatment for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and/or Dementia. Swallowing problems (dysphagia) are common complications among patients with neurologic disorders, and failure to treat dysphagia can lead to aspiration pneumonia.

In this study, we are comparing two of the most common swallowing treatments, changing posture while swallowing, and altering the consistency of the diet.

Thus far, preliminary data from protocol 201 suggest that _

Protocol 201 is being conducted at medical research centers throughout the U.S. and is funded by the Communication Sciences and Disorders Clinical Trials Research Group (CSDRG), an institute of the National Institutes of Health.