Tongue Pressure and Grip Strength as Indicators of Persistent Dysphagia After Acute Stroke

• Published in: Dysphagia 2024-10
• Main Authors: Ohashi, Miho, Aoyagi, Yoichiro, Iwasawa, Tatsuya, Sakaguchi, Kumiko, Saito, Tomonari, Sakamoto, Yuki, Ishiyama, Daisuke, Kimura, Kazumi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0179-051X; 1432-0460; 1432-0460
• DOI: 10.1007/s00455-024-10766-3

This study aimed to identify the independent predictors of postacute stroke dysphagia at discharge using sarcopenia-related parameters. This single-center prospective observational study assessed consecutive inpatients diagnosed with cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage upon admission to the stroke unit. Tongue pressure, grip strength, and body composition were evaluated within 48 h. Dysphagia was defined by a functional oral intake scale of ≤ 5. Patient characteristics were compared between non-dysphagia and dysphagia groups using Mann-Whitney or chi-squared tests. Logistic regression analysis was performed using age, sex, tongue pressure, grip strength, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores as explanatory variables, with dysphagia at discharge as the objective variable. A total of 302 patients (mean age: 69.4 ± 13.8 years, 67.5% male) were analyzed, with 64 having dysphagia at discharge (21.2%). The dysphagia group was significantly older (p