Acoustic Correlation with Dysphagia in Stroke Patients

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Dysphagia is a common complication in stroke survivors, increasing dependency and mortality.
• Current dysphagia screening methods are invasive and carry aspiration risks.
• Early detection of dysphagia is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of voice analysis for detecting and assessing dysphagia in stroke survivors.
• To identify specific acoustic parameters indicative of dysphagia severity.

Main Methods:

• Acoustic analysis of voice parameters was performed on stroke survivors with and without dysphagia, and healthy controls.
• Parameters included maximum volume, pitch, glottal noise, perturbation (Shimmer), pronunciation time, and voice disorder indices.
• Correlation analysis was conducted between acoustic parameters and pharyngeal residue severity.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in all measured acoustic parameters were observed in stroke patients with dysphagia compared to controls.
• Acoustic parameter changes, particularly Shimmer and overall voice severity, correlated with the severity of pharyngeal residue.
• Voice analysis demonstrated potential as a non-invasive indicator of dysphagia severity.

Conclusions:

• Voice analysis offers a quick, non-invasive method for initial dysphagia screening in stroke patients.
• Acoustic voice changes can provide valuable insights into dysphagia severity and pharyngeal residue.
• This approach may complement traditional swallowing tests for comprehensive dysphagia diagnosis.