How a personalised transportable folding device for seating impacts dysphagia

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, significantly impacts patient quality of life.
• Poor posture during meals can exacerbate swallowing difficulties.
• A novel personalized transportable folding device for seating (DATP) was developed to improve posture and potentially aid swallowing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if the DATP improves sitting posture and hyoid bone motion in dysphagic patients.
• To determine if improved posture and hyoid motion translate to better swallowing quality.
• To evaluate secondary outcomes including other swallowing parameters, posture, device acceptability, and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• A randomized comparative clinical trial was conducted with 56 dysphagic patients.
• Patients were divided into two groups: one using the DATP (D+) and one not (D-).
• Hyoid bone movement during swallowing was the primary outcome, measured via videofluoroscopic examination.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed significant postural improvements, with the D+ group exhibiting greater hyoid bone motion.
• The D+ group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in horizontal and vertical hyoid bone movements compared to the D- group.
• No significant improvements were observed in other swallowing markers or overall swallowing efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The DATP positively influences hyoid bone motion, an intermediate indicator of swallowing function.
• Despite affecting hyoid motion, the device did not lead to a significant improvement in swallowing efficiency in this patient cohort.
• Future research should control for the diversity of underlying conditions contributing to dysphagia.