776
Views
13
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Short Report

Best practices protocol for the evaluation of bulbar dysfunction: summary recommendations from the NEALS bulbar subcommittee symposium

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , & show all
Pages 311-312 | Received 25 Aug 2017, Accepted 06 Nov 2017, Published online: 05 Dec 2017
 

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this Symposium was to develop a consensus based, bulbar assessment protocol for implementation within NEALS clinics. Methods: A one-day symposium, held in April 2017, was organized into Speech and Swallowing sections to establish summary recommendations for the assessment of bulbar dysfunction within each group. Results: Summary recommendations included speech referrals and AAC evaluations at initial visit, CNS-BFS, maximum sustained phonation, and speaking rate. Dysarthria evaluation included the speech subsystem involvement of respiration, phonation, resonance, and articulation. Specific recommendations for swallowing were established for each of the following domains: dietary/oral intake, airway defense physiologic capacity, swallow safety screen, patient-reported swallow-related outcomes, oral sensorimotor exam, and pulmonary function. Practice parameters focused upon patient education and unresolved questions included the use of videofluoscopy, monitoring diet progression, and swallow safety screening. Conclusions: The working goal is to establish a clinical bulbar protocol, designed to be incorporated within ALS clinics and ultimately to formulate a best practice set of bulbar ALS guidelines, available for implementation throughout the international ALS community.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by NEALS, MGH and Cytokinetics Pharmaceuticals, [grant number 0100].

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 65.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 478.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.