Development and validation of a novel Barrett's oesophagus patient reported outcome measure (B-PROM).

Background: Patients with Barrett's oesophagus (BO) carry significant cancer worry, burden of symptoms, and lack disease-specific knowledge. Currently there is no validated BO patient reported outcome measure (PROM) to measure these factors for use in clinical practice and research, hence the aim of this study was to devise a novel, validated BO-specific tool, B-PROM. Methods: Literature review, quantitative and qualitative research informed the initial item generation. The item bank was refined through a modified Delphi process between May and August 2021. The PROM was then tested through cognitive interviews and validated via multicentre testing between September 2021 and February 2023 with the aim to create a succinct tool which addresses the key important factors to BO patients and has strong psychometric properties. Findings: B-PROM covers key themes of disease-specific knowledge, trust in clinicians, burden of symptoms, cancer worry and burden of surveillance. Validation results from 387 participants (response rate 40.8%) showed 93.3% of participants completed >95% of B-PROM. All individual items scored a completion rate of >95%. Mean completion time was 5 mins 34s for a sample group. Nineteen items showed a ceiling effect, 3 items showed a floor effect. Internal consistency overall demonstrated a Cronbach Alpha of 0.846, while predetermined subsections showed Cronbach alphas of 0.335, 0.718, 0.736, and 0.896. Inter-item analysis found 2 pairs of items with strong correlation, with only 6 items correlating weakly. Item-total correlation showed 19 items correlated well. Exploratory Factor analysis (EFA) with principal component analysis produced 5 components with Eigenvalues >1 of which 4/5 had satisfactory Cronbach alphas. Test-retest reliability showed no significant differences across single and average measures (p ≤ 0.001). Interpretation: B-PROM is the first BO-specific PROM to be systematically evaluated. Validation findings show strong internal consistency, short completion time, low missingness and excellent test-retest reliability. Funding: Medtronic Limited ISR-2016-1077.

The neurorehabilitation of post-stroke dysphagia: Physiology and pathophysiology.

Swallowing is a complex process involving the precise contractions of numerous muscles of the head and neck, which act to process and shepherd ingested material from the oral cavity to its eventual destination, the stomach. Over the past five decades, information from animal and human studies has laid bare the complex network of neurones in the brainstem, cortex and cerebellum that are responsible for orchestrating each normal swallow. Amidst this complexity, problems can and often do occur that result in dysphagia, defined as impaired or disordered swallowing. Dysphagia is common, arising from multiple varied disease processes that can affect any of the neuromuscular structures involved in swallowing. Post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) remains the most prevalent and most commonly studied form of dysphagia and, as such, provides an important disease model to assess dysphagia physiology and pathophysiology. In this review, we explore the complex neuroanatomical processes that occur during normal swallowing and PSD. This includes how strokes cause dysphagia, the mechanisms through which natural neuroplastic recovery occurs, current treatments for patients with persistent dysphagia and emerging neuromodulatory treatments.

Dedicated service for Barrett's oesophagus surveillance endoscopy yields higher dysplasia detection and guideline adherence in a non-tertiary setting in the UK: a 5-year comparative cohort study.

Objective: Barrett's oesophagus (BO) endoscopic surveillance is performed to varying quality, dedicated services may offer improved outcomes. This study compares a dedicated BO service to standard care, specifically dysplasia detection rate (DDR), guideline adherence and use of advanced imaging modalities in a non-tertiary setting. Design/method: 5-year retrospective comparative cohort study comparing a dedicated BO endoscopy service with surveillance performed on non-dedicated slots at a non-tertiary centre in the UK. All adult patients undergoing BO surveillance between 1 March 2016 and 1 March 2021 were reviewed and those who underwent endoscopy on a dedicated BO service run by endoscopists with training in BO was compared with patients receiving their BO surveillance on any other endoscopy list. Endoscopy reports, histology results and clinic letters were reviewed for DDR and British society of gastroenterology guideline adherence. Results: 921 BO procedures were included (678 patients). 574 (62%) endoscopies were on a dedicated BO list vs 348 (38%) on non-dedicated.DDR was significantly higher in the dedicated cohort 6.3% (36/568) vs 2.7% (9/337) (p=0.014). Significance was sustained when cases with indefinite for dysplasia were excluded: 4.9% 27/533 vs 0.9% 3/329 (p=0.002). Guideline adherence was significantly better on the dedicated endoscopy lists.Factors associated with dysplasia detection in regression analysis included visible lesion documentation (p=0.036), use of targeted biopsies (p=<0.001), number of biopsies obtained (p≤0.001). Conclusions: A dedicated Barrett's service showed higher DDR and guideline adherence than standard care and may be beneficial pending randomised trial data.

Fecal Urgency in Ulcerative Colitis: Impact on Quality of Life and Psychological Well-Being in Active and Inactive Disease States.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, relapsing-and-remitting, potentially progressive form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with multidimensional and often negative effects on patients' lives. Fecal urgency, the sudden and compelling desire to defecate, often accompanied by impaired bowel control leading to frequent and urgent trips to the bathroom, is a distressing symptom, experienced by more than 50% of patients with UC.1 Physicians frequently underestimate the burden of fecal urgency on patients' lives, with ramifications ranging from disruption in daily activities, social interactions, and emotional distress with resultant impairment in quality of life (QoL).2,3.

The assessment of dysphagia after stroke: state of the art and future directions.

Dysphagia is a major complication following an acute stroke that affects the majority of patients. Clinically, dysphagia after stroke is associated with increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, mortality, and other adverse functional outcomes. Pathophysiologically, dysphagia after stroke is caused by disruption of an extensive cortical and subcortical swallowing network. The screening of patients for dysphagia after stroke should be provided as soon as possible, starting with simple water-swallowing tests at the bedside or more elaborate multi-consistency protocols. Subsequently, a more detailed examination, ideally with instrumental diagnostics such as flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing or video fluoroscopy is indicated in some patients. Emerging diagnostic procedures, technical innovations in assessment tools, and digitalisation will improve diagnostic accuracy in the future. Advances in the diagnosis of dysphagia after stroke will enable management based on individual patterns of dysfunction and predisposing risk factors for complications. Progess in dysphagia rehabilitation are essential to reduce mortality and improve patients' quality of life after a stroke.

Quality of life measures in dysplastic Barrett's oesophagus are comparable to patients with non-dysplastic Barrett's oesophagus and do not improve after endoscopic therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Barrett's oesophagus (BO) is a precursor lesion, via dysplastic phases, to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Although overall risk from BO is low, it has been shown to adversely affect health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The aim was to compare dysplastic BO patients' HRQOL pre-endoscopic therapy (pre-ET) and post-ET. The pre-ET BO group was also compared with other cohorts: non-dysplastic BO (NDBO), those with colonic polyps, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and healthy volunteers. DESIGN: Participants in the pre-ET cohort were recruited prior to their endotherapy and HRQOL questionnaires provided pre-ET and post-ET. Wilcoxon rank test was used to compare the pre-ET and post-ET findings. The Pre-ET group was compared to the other cohorts' HRQOL results using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Pre-ET group of 69 participants returned the questionnaires prior to and 42 post-ET. Both the pre-ET and post-ET group showed similar levels of cancer worry, despite the treatment. No statistical significance was found for symptoms scores, anxiety and depression or general health measures with the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Score. Education for the BO patients was overall lacking with many of the pre-ET group still reporting unanswered questions about their disease.The Pre-ET group was compared with NDBO group (N=379), GORD (N=132), colonic polyp patients (N=152) and healthy volunteers (N=48). Cancer worry was similar between the NDBO group and the Pre-ET group, despite their lower risk of progression. GORD patients had worse symptom scores from a reflux and heartburn perspective. Only the healthy group has significantly better scores in the SF-36 and improved hospital anxiety and depression scores. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there is a need to improve HRQOL for patients with BO. This should include improved education and devising-specific patient-reported outcome measures for BO to capture relevant areas of HRQOL in future studies.

The prevalence and burden of Rome IV faecal incontinence in ulcerative colitis: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in ulcerative colitis (UC) therapies, a relatively undefined proportion of patients experience faecal incontinence (FI) in the absence of active inflammation. For this group, there remains a significant unmet need with a limited evidence base. AIMS: We aimed to estimate the prevalence and impact of FI in UC. METHODS: In a prospective cross-sectional study, patients with UC completed a series of validated questionnaires, including Rome IV FI criteria, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific FI questionnaire (ICIQ-IBD), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and IBD-Control. UC remission was defined as faecal calprotectin (FCP) ≤250 µg/g, or IBD-control 8 score ≥13 and IBD-Control-VAS ≥ 85. RESULTS: Of 255 patients with UC, overall, 20.4% fulfilled Rome IV criteria for FI. Rome IV FI prevalence did not differ between active and quiescent UC regardless of whether disease activity was defined by IBD-Control scores ± FCP (p = 0.25), or objectively with FCP thresholds of 250 µg/g (p = 0.86) and 100 µg/g (p = 0.95). Most patients (75.2%) reported FI when in 'remission' and during 'relapse' (90.6%) according to ICIQ-IBD. Those who reported FI according to both ICIQ-IBD and Rome IV definitions had higher anxiety, depression and worse quality-of-life (QoL) scores (p < 0.05). In those with Rome IV FI, there was a strong correlation between FI symptom severity and impaired QoL (r = 0.809, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of FI in UC is high, even in remission, and associated with significant psychological distress, symptom burden and impaired QoL. These findings highlight the urgent need for further research and development of evidence-based treatments for FI in UC.

Spinal disinhibition: evidence for a hyperpathia phenotype in painful diabetic neuropathy.

The dominant sensory phenotype in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy and neuropathic pain is a loss of function. This raises questions as to which mechanisms underlie pain generation in the face of potentially reduced afferent input. One potential mechanism is spinal disinhibition, whereby a loss of spinal inhibition leads to increased ascending nociceptive drive due to amplification of, or a failure to suppress, incoming signals from the periphery. We aimed to explore whether a putative biomarker of spinal disinhibition, impaired rate-dependent depression of the Hoffmann reflex, is associated with a mechanistically appropriate and distinct pain phenotype in patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. In this cross-sectional study, 93 patients with diabetic neuropathy underwent testing of Hoffmann reflex rate-dependent depression and detailed clinical and sensory phenotyping, including quantitative sensory testing. Compared to neuropathic patients without pain, patients with painful diabetic neuropathy had impaired Hoffmann reflex rate-dependent depression at 1, 2 and 3 Hz (P ≤ 0.001). Patients with painful diabetic neuropathy exhibited an overall loss of function profile on quantitative sensory testing. However, within the painful diabetic neuropathy group, cluster analysis showed evidence of greater spinal disinhibition associated with greater mechanical pain sensitivity, relative heat hyperalgesia and higher ratings of spontaneous burning pain. These findings support spinal disinhibition as an important centrally mediated pain amplification mechanism in painful diabetic neuropathy. Furthermore, our analysis indicates an association between spinal disinhibition and a distinct phenotype, arguably akin to hyperpathia, with combined loss and relative gain of function leading to increasing nociceptive drive.

Dysphagia treatments in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The majority of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) develop oropharyngeal dysphagia during the course of their disease. However, the efficacy of dysphagia treatments for these patients remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate treatment efficacy based on the evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: Five electronic databases were systematically searched from inception date to April 2022. Two reviewers independently extracted and analyzed the data. The outcome measures were changes in swallowing-related characteristics based on instrumental swallowing assessments. KEY RESULTS: An initial search identified 187 RCT studies of relevance. After screening, nine studies with a total sample size of 286 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size for all dysphagia treatments compared with control comparators was significant and medium (SMD [95% CI] = 0.58 [0.22, 0.94], p = 0.001; I2  = 50%). Subgroup analysis revealed a significant and medium pooled effect size for stimulation treatments (brain stimulation, peripheral neurostimulation and acupuncture) (SMD [95% CI] = 0.54 [0.15, 0.92]; p = 0.006; I2  = 22%). Specifically, the effect sizes for the single RCTs on neuromuscular stimulation (SMD [95% CI] = 1.58 [0.49, 2.86]; p = 0.005) and acupuncture (SMD [95% CI] = 0.82 [0.27, 1.37]; p = 0.003) were significant and large. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: Our results showed that overall, dysphagia treatments, particularly stimulation treatments, can potentially benefit PD patients. However, given the limited number of small RCTs for each type of treatment, the evidence remains weak and uncertain. Further large-scale, multicenter RCTs are warranted to fully explore their clinical efficacy in the PD population.

Evaluating the Therapeutic Application of Neuromodulation in the Human Swallowing System.

In the last two decades, the focus of neurogenic dysphagia management has moved from passive compensatory strategies to evidence-based rehabilitative approaches. Advances in technology have enabled the development of novel treatment approaches such as neuromodulation techniques, which target the promotion of neurological reorganization for functional recovery of swallowing. Given the rapid pace of development in the field, this review aims to summarize the current findings on the effects of neuromodulation techniques on the human swallowing system and evaluate their therapeutic potential for neurogenic dysphagia. Implications for future clinical research and practical considerations for using neuromodulation in clinical practice will also be discussed.

The Role of the Cerebellum in Swallowing.

Swallowing is a complex activity requiring a sophisticated system of neurological control from neurones within the brainstem, cerebral cortices and cerebellum. The cerebellum is a critical part of the brain responsible for the modulation of movements. It receives input from motor cortical and sensory areas and fine tunes these inputs to produce coordinated motor outputs. With respect to swallowing, numerous functional imaging studies have demonstrated increased activity in the cerebellum during the task of swallowing and damage to the cerebellum following differing pathological processes is associated with dysphagia. Single pulses of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have been applied to the cerebellum and have been shown to evoke motor responses in the pharynx. Moreover, repetitive TMS (rTMS) over the cerebellum can modulate cerebral motor (pharyngeal) cortical activity. Neurostimulation has allowed a better understanding of the connections that exist between the cerebellum and cerebral swallowing motor areas in health and provides a potential treatment for neurogenic dysphagia in illness. In this review we will examine what is currently known about the role of the cerebellum in the control of swallowing, explore new findings from neurostimulatory and imaging studies and provide an overview of the future clinical applications of cerebellar stimulation for treating dysphagia.

Advances in the Treatment of Dysphagia in Neurological Disorders: A Review of Current Evidence and Future Considerations.

Dysphagia, which refers to difficult and/or disordered swallowing, is a common problem associated with various neurological diseases such as stroke, motor neuron diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. Traditionally, dysphagia treatments are either compensatory, which includes modifications of bolus texture or feeding posture, or rehabilitative, which includes behavioral exercises and sensory stimulation. Despite being widely adopted in clinical practice, recent views have challenged the clinical efficacy of these treatments due to the low level of evidence supported by mainly non-controlled studies. As such, with advancements in technology and scientific research methods, recent times have seen a surge in the development of novel dysphagia treatments and an increasing number of robust randomized controlled clinical trials. In this review, we will review the clinical evidence of several newly introduced treatments for dysphagia in the last two decades, including rehabilitative exercises, biofeedback, pharmacological treatments, neuromodulation treatments and soft robotics. Despite the recent improvements in the quality of evidence for the efficacy of dysphagia treatments, several critical issues, including heterogeneity in treatment regimens, long-term treatment effects, underlying mechanisms of some neuromodulation treatments, and the effects of these techniques in non-stroke dysphagia, remain to be addressed in future clinical trials.

Cerebral control of swallowing: An update on neurobehavioral evidence.

This review aims to update the current knowledge on the cerebral control of swallowing. We review data from both animal and human studies spanning across the fields of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology and neuroimaging to evaluate advancements in our understanding in the brain's role in swallowing. Studies have collectively shown that swallowing is mediated by multiple distinct cortical and subcortical regions and that lesions to these regions can result in dysphagia. These regions are functionally connected in separate groups within and between the two hemispheres. While hemispheric dominance for swallowing has been reported in most human studies, the laterality is inconsistent across individuals. Moreover, there is a shift in activation location and laterality between swallowing preparation and execution, although such activation changes are less well-defined than that for limb motor control. Finally, we discussed recent neurostimulation treatments that may be beneficial for dysphagia after brain injury through promoting the reorganization of the swallowing neural network.

Reply to Dziewas, R.; Bath, P.M. Endpoints in Dysphagia Trials. Comment on "Speyer et al. Neurostimulation in People with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Randomised Controlled Trials-Part I: Pharyngeal and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation. J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11, 776".

Our systematic review and meta-analysis of pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is the first paper (Part I) [...].

A feasibility pilot study of the effects of neurostimulation on swallowing function in Parkinson's Disease [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 3 approved with reservations, 1 not approved].

Introduction: Dysphagia often occurs during Parkinson's disease (PD) and can have severe consequences. Recently, neuromodulatory techniques have been used to treat neurogenic dysphagia. Here we aimed to compare the neurophysiological and swallowing effects of three different types of neurostimulation, 5 Hertz (Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), 1 Hz rTMS and pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) in patients with PD. Method: 12 PD patients with dysphagia were randomised to receive either 5 Hz rTMS, 1 Hz rTMS, or PES. In a cross-over design, patients were assigned to one intervention and received both real and sham stimulation. Patients received a baseline videofluoroscopic (VFS) assessment of their swallowing, enabling penetration aspiration scores (PAS) to be calculated for: thin fluids, paste, solids and cup drinking. Swallowing timing measurements were also performed on thin fluid swallows only. They then had baseline recordings of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from both pharyngeal and (as a control) abductor pollicis brevis (APB) cortical areas using single-pulse TMS. Subsequently, the intervention was administered and post interventional TMS recordings were taken at 0 and 30 minutes followed by a repeat VFS within 60 minutes of intervention. Results: All interventions were well tolerated. Due to lower than expected recruitment, statistical analysis of the data was not undertaken. However, with respect to PAS swallowing timings and MEP amplitudes, there was small but visible difference in the outcomes between active and sham. Conclusion: PES, 5 Hz rTMS and 1 Hz rTMS are tolerable interventions in PD related dysphagia. Due to small patient numbers no definitive conclusions could be drawn from the data with respect to individual interventions improving swallowing function and comparative effectiveness between interventions. Larger future studies are needed to further explore the efficacy of these neuromodulatory treatments in Parkinson's Disease associated dysphagia.

Neurostimulation in People with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Randomised Controlled Trials-Part I: Pharyngeal and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation.

Objective. To assess the effects of neurostimulation (i.e., neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES)) in people with oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD). Methods. Systematic literature searches were conducted to retrieve randomised controlled trials in four electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed). The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2). Results. In total, 42 studies reporting on peripheral neurostimulation were included: 30 studies on NMES, eight studies on PES, and four studies on combined neurostimulation interventions. When conducting meta analyses, significant, large and significant, moderate pre-post treatment effects were found for NMES (11 studies) and PES (five studies), respectively. Between-group analyses showed small effect sizes in favour of NMES, but no significant effects for PES. Conclusions. NMES may have more promising effects compared to PES. However, NMES studies showed high heterogeneity in protocols and experimental variables, the presence of potential moderators, and inconsistent reporting of methodology. Therefore, only conservative generalisations and interpretation of meta-analyses could be made. To facilitate comparisons of studies and determine intervention effects, there is a need for more randomised controlled trials with larger population sizes, and greater standardisation of protocols and guidelines for reporting.

Neurostimulation in People with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials-Part II: Brain Neurostimulation.

Objective. To assess the effects of brain neurostimulation (i.e., repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation [rTMS] and transcranial direct current stimulation [tDCS]) in people with oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD). Methods. Systematic literature searches were conducted in four electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed) to retrieve randomised controlled trials (RCTs) only. Using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2), the methodological quality of included studies was evaluated, after which meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model. Results. In total, 24 studies reporting on brain neurostimulation were included: 11 studies on rTMS, 9 studies on tDCS, and 4 studies on combined neurostimulation interventions. Overall, within-group meta-analysis and between-group analysis for rTMS identified significant large and small effects in favour of stimulation, respectively. For tDCS, overall within-group analysis and between-group analysis identified significant large and moderate effects in favour of stimulation, respectively. Conclusion. Both rTMS and tDCS show promising effects in people with oropharyngeal dysphagia. However, comparisons between studies were challenging due to high heterogeneity in stimulation protocols and experimental parameters, potential moderators, and inconsistent methodological reporting. Generalisations of meta-analyses need to be interpreted with care. Future research should include large RCTs using standard protocols and reporting guidelines as achieved by international consensus.

Developing patient-orientated Barrett's oesophagus services: the role of dedicated services.

INTRODUCTION: Barrett's oesophagus (BO) is common and is a precursor to oesophageal adenocarcinoma with a 0.33% per annum risk of progression. Surveillance and follow-up services for BO have been shown to be lacking, with studies showing inadequate adherence to guidelines and patients reporting a need for greater disease-specific knowledge. This review explores the emerging role of dedicated services for patients with BO. METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, HMIC, BNI, CiNAHL, AMED and PsycINFO in regard to dedicated BO care pathways was undertaken. RESULTS: Prospective multicentre and randomised trials were lacking. Published cohort data are encouraging with improvements in guideline adherence with dedicated services, with one published study showing significant improvements in dysplasia detection rates. Accuracy of allocation to surveillance endoscopy has been shown to hold cost savings, and a study of a dedicated clinic showed increased discharges from unnecessary surveillance. Training modalities for BO surveillance and dysplasia detection exist, which could be used to educate a BO workforce. Qualitative and quantitative studies have shown patients report high levels of cancer worry and poor disease-specific knowledge, but few studies have explored follow-up care models despite being a patient and clinician priority for research. CONCLUSIONS: Cost-benefit analysis for dedicated services, considering both financial and environmental impacts, and more robust clinical data must be obtained to support this model of care in the wider health service. Greater understanding is needed of the root causes for poor guideline adherence, and disease-specific models of care should be designed around clinical and patient-reported outcomes to address the unmet needs of patients with BO.

Reliability of the Penetration-Aspiration Scale and Temporal and Clearance Measures in Poststroke Dysphagia: Videofluoroscopic Analysis From the Swallowing Treatment using Electrical Pharyngeal Stimulation Trial.

PURPOSE: Information on reliability of outcome measures used to assess the effectiveness of interventions in dysphagia rehabilitation is lacking, particularly when used by different research groups. Here, we report on reliability of the penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) and temporal and clearance measures, determined using videofluoroscopy. METHOD: Secondary analysis used videofluoroscopies from the Swallowing Treatment using Electrical Pharyngeal Stimulation trial in subacute stroke. PAS scores (719 scores from 18 participants) were evaluated and compared to the original PAS scores from the trial. Five conditions were assessed, including reliability for every swallow and overall mean of the worst PAS score. Operational rules for assessing temporal and clearance measures were also developed using the same data, and reliability of these rules was assessed. Reliability of component-level and derivative-level scores was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted kappa. RESULTS: Image quality was variable. Interrater reliability for the overall mean of the worst PAS score was excellent (ICC = .914, 95% confidence interval [CI] [.853, .951]) but moderate for every swallow in the bolus (ICC = .743, 95% CI [.708, .775]). Intrarater reliability for PAS was excellent (all conditions). Excellent reliability (both inter- and intrarater > .90) was seen for temporal measures of stage transition duration (ICC = .998, 95% CI [.993, .999] and ICC = .995, 95% CI [.987, .998], respectively) as well as initiation of laryngeal closure and pharyngeal transit time and all individual swallow events. Strong scores were obtained for some clearance measures; others were moderate or weak. CONCLUSIONS: Interrater reliability for PAS is acceptable but depends on how the PAS scores are handled in the analysis. Interrater reliability for most temporal measures was high, although some measures required additional training. No clearance measures had excellent reliability. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19090088.

A multinational consensus on dysphagia in Parkinson's disease: screening, diagnosis and prognostic value.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a combination of motor and non-motor dysfunction. Dysphagia is a common symptom in PD, though it is still too frequently underdiagnosed. Consensus is lacking on screening, diagnosis, and prognosis of dysphagia in PD. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the literature and to define consensus statements on the screening and the diagnosis of dysphagia in PD, as well as on the impact of dysphagia on the prognosis and quality of life (QoL) of PD patients. METHODS: A multinational group of experts in the field of neurogenic dysphagia and/or PD conducted a systematic revision of the literature published since January 1990 to February 2021 and reported the results according to PRISMA guidelines. The output of the research was then analyzed and discussed in a consensus conference convened in Pavia, Italy, where the consensus statements were drafted. The final version of statements was subsequently achieved by e-mail consensus. RESULTS: Eighty-five papers were used to inform the Panel's statements even though most of them were of Class IV quality. The statements tackled four main areas: (1) screening of dysphagia: timing and tools; (2) diagnosis of dysphagia: clinical and instrumental detection, severity assessment; (3) dysphagia and QoL: impact and assessment; (4) prognostic value of dysphagia; impact on the outcome and role of associated conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The statements elaborated by the Consensus Panel provide a framework to guide the neurologist in the timely detection and accurate diagnosis of dysphagia in PD.