Relationship between the onset of the pharyngeal swallowing response and lesion topography in acute ischemic stroke

Purpose: to identify the onset site of the pharyngeal swallow response and correlate it with lesion topography in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: an observational, cross-sectional, and prospective study involving 30 patients from a stroke unit, conducted in four phases: (1) dysphagia risk screening, (2) topographic analysis of brain lesions, (3) objective swallowing assessment, using videofluoroscopy, and (4) blinded analysis of videofluoroscopic exams by two speech-language pathologists. The onset of the pharyngeal swallow response was determined by using the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP™), considering component 6. Statistical analysis included Spearman’s correlation, chi-square, and Cohen’s kappa tests (p < 0.05). Results: the sample consisted of 13 (43.0%) females and 17 (57.0%) males, with a mean age of 69.1 ± 9.21 years. No correlation was found between the onset site of the pharyngeal swallow response and brain lesion topography. Conclusion: the onset site of the pharyngeal swallow response did not correlate with the brain lesion topography in this population.