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Updated: May 7, 2026

Adapting Human Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Methods to Detect and Characterize Dysphagia in Murine Disease Models
Published on: March 1, 2015
Pediatric Dysphagia Risk Screening Instrument (PDRSI) in Children With Cerebral Palsy
Ebru Umay1, Damla Cankurtaran1, Nihal Tezel1
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Health Sciences, Ankara Etlik Integrated Health Campus, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
The Pediatric Dysphagia Risk Screening Instrument (PDRSI) is a valid and reliable tool for identifying dysphagia risk in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This screening tool demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity for this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Neurology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Children with cerebral palsy (CP) frequently experience dysphagia, impacting their health and quality of life.
- Accurate and reliable screening tools are essential for early detection and intervention of dysphagia in pediatric CP populations.
- The Pediatric Dysphagia Risk Screening Instrument (PDRSI) is a potential tool, but its suitability for children with CP requires evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the suitability of the Pediatric Dysphagia Risk Screening Instrument (PDRSI) for children with cerebral palsy (CP).
- To assess the Turkish validity and reliability of the PDRSI in a pediatric CP cohort.
- To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the Turkish version of the PDRSI (T-PDRSI).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 126 children with CP participated in the study.
- Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, item deletion analysis, and item-to-total correlations.
- Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using Cohen's kappa coefficient, and construct validity was assessed. Flexible fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FFES) was used for ROC analysis.
Main Results:
- The PDRSI demonstrated adequate internal consistency and inter-rater reliability in children with CP.
- Construct validity was confirmed, indicating the instrument measures the intended construct.
- The T-PDRSI exhibited high sensitivity and specificity when compared against FFES findings.
Conclusions:
- The Pediatric Dysphagia Risk Screening Instrument (PDRSI) is a valid and reliable tool for screening dysphagia risk in children with cerebral palsy.
- The Turkish version of the PDRSI is suitable for use in this population, offering high diagnostic accuracy.
- The PDRSI can aid clinicians in the early identification of swallowing difficulties in children with CP, facilitating timely interventions.
Abstract:
This study aimed to evaluate whether the Pediatric Dysphagia Risk Screening Instrument (PDRSI) was a suitable test for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and assess the instrument's Turkish validity and reliability. One-hundred twenty-six children with CP participated in this study. "Cronbach's alpha (ɑ)," "Cronbach's ɑ when one item is deleted," "inter-item correlation," and "corrected item-to-total correlation" were used to assess internal consistency. In addition, inter-rater agreement tests (Cohen's kappa coefficient) were conducted for reliability. Construct validity was used to assess the validity. Moreover, flexible fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of the swallowing method was used to describe the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and calculate the sensitivity and specificity of T-PDRSI. It was found that the PDRSI had adequate validity and reliability. The PDRSI can be used in children with CP as a valid and reliable instrument with high sensitivity and specificity.

