Results of rehabilitation for chronic dysphagia due to cerebrovascular disorders in the brainstem

Ozeki Y, Ota K, Kagaya H, Baba M, Saitoh E, Shibata S, Tanaka T, Okada S, Mikushi S. Results of rehabilitation for chronic dysphagia due to cerebrovascular disorders in the brainstem. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2012; 3: 1-5.Objective: To investigate the rehabilitation outcomes of patients with chronic dysphagia due to brainstem lesions.Methods: Changes in Dysphagia Severity Scale (DSS) score, Eating Status Scale (ESS) score, and activities of daily living (ADL) between hospital admission and discharge were investigated retrospectively in 34 patients (27 males and 7 females; mean age, 63 years) with continuous dysphagia for ≥3 months due to brainstem lesions who underwent inpatient rehabilitation.Results: DSS scores were unchanged in 6 of the 9 patients with DSS scores of 1 at admission, but improved in 17 of the 25 patients with DSS scores of 2 or above. No improvement in ESS scores was seen in 8 of the 9 patients with ESS and DSS scores of 1, but there were improvements in 20 of the 25 patients with DSS scores of 2 or above.Conclusion: Improvement was poor in patients with DSS scores of 1 after 3 months or more. However, there is a high likelihood of improvement with intensive rehabilitation in patients with DSS scores of 2 or higher.