Biomarker can predict severity of dysphagia after a stroke

Researchers in Korea have discovered a biomarker which can predict the severity of dysphagia after a stroke.

The condition is known to affect more than 50 per cent of stroke survivors and around 11 to 13 per cent of them remain dysphagic after six months.

In the past, research has tended to focus on identifying the site of brain damage that causes dysphagia after a stroke rather than evaluation of the degree of brain damage.

However, Professors Kim Young-gook at Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital and Im Sun at Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital, have now led a team which conducted a prospective study to find out the relationship between the cortical medulla tract, the severity of dysphagia, and the possibility of recovery in stroke patients within two weeks of onset.

The researchers obtained diffusion tensor imaging with cranial nerve fibres within two weeks of the onset of stroke patients who visited Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital between March 2017 and February 2018.

They then quantitatively evaluated their swallowing function through a swallow test.

The patients were divided into a group with dysphagia after stroke (27 people), a group without dysphagia after stroke (24 people), and a control group (18 people).

They found the dysphagia group had more damage to the affected cortex than those without dysphagia.

The researchers also found the microstructure integrity of the unaffected cortical medulla oblongata in the dysphagia group was a biomarker that could predict up to 63.1 percent of the recovery of swallowing function after three months of onset.