Related Experiment Videos
Aspiration after stroke: lesion analysis by brain MRI
M J Alberts1, J Horner, L Gray
1Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
Dysphagia
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Stroke patients often experience aspiration, leading to feeding issues and pneumonia. This study found aspiration can occur even with small vessel strokes, highlighting the need for individual swallowing evaluations regardless of stroke location.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gastroenterology
- Radiology
Background:
- Aspiration is a frequent complication after stroke, causing dysphagia and pneumonia.
- Previous research on stroke location and aspiration risk has yielded unclear results.
- Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers superior sensitivity for detecting various stroke types compared to computed tomography (CT).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between stroke location, identified via MRI, and the occurrence of aspiration in stroke patients.
- To compare aspiration rates in patients with small vessel infarcts versus those with both large- and small-vessel infarcts.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of acute stroke patients who underwent brain MRI and swallowing evaluation.
- Correlation of MRI-detected lesions with the presence or absence of aspiration.
- Statistical analysis, including multivariate analysis, to assess the association between stroke location and aspiration.
Main Results:
- Aspiration was identified in 55% of the 38 patients studied.
- Patients with only small vessel infarcts had a significantly lower aspiration rate (21%) compared to those with mixed large- and small-vessel infarcts (75%, p = 0.002).
- Multivariate analysis did not reveal a significant link between specific brain lesion locations and aspiration occurrence.
Conclusions:
- Stroke location and size alone are not definitive predictors of aspiration.
- Individualized swallowing assessments are crucial for all stroke survivors, irrespective of stroke characteristics.
- Even small vessel strokes can be associated with a notable risk of aspiration, necessitating careful evaluation.