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Effect of Intensive Oropharyngeal Training on Radiotherapy-Related Dysphagia in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients

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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the effect of intensive oropharyngeal functional training on swallowing in patients with dysphagia after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods

Fourteen patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas and dysphagia after radiotherapy received intensive oropharyngeal training for two weeks. The Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) and videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) were used to evaluate swallowing function before and after intensive oropharyngeal training. Spatiotemporal parameters of the VFSS were analyzed using a digital image analysis system.

Results

After training, the FOIS, Rosenbek penetration–aspiration score, DIGEST, normalized residue ratio scale, and spatiotemporal parameters of VFSS were significantly improved (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

This study indicated that intensive oropharyngeal training improves swallowing function after radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

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Funding

This study was funded by Guangzhou Key Field Research and Development Plan (Grant No. 202007030001) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81401872)

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Author notes

  1. Fei Zhao and Zu-Lin Dou have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China

    Fei Zhao, Zu-Lin Dou, Chun-Qing Xie, Chen Yang, Gui-Fang Wan, Yao-Wen Zhang, Hong-Mei Wen & Zhi-Ming Tang

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  1. Fei Zhao
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Zhao, F., Dou, ZL., Xie, CQ. et al. Effect of Intensive Oropharyngeal Training on Radiotherapy-Related Dysphagia in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients. Dysphagia 37, 1542–1549 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-022-10419-3

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