Comparison of Two Therapies for Upper Esophageal Sphincter (UES) Dysphagia

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Deglutition Disorders

In brief

The aim of this research study is to determine the effectiveness of: 1) a traditional therapy regimen focusing on individual exercises for pharyngeal (throat) and laryngeal (voice box) musculature and 2) a new therapeutic exercise, the Shaker exercise. The primary objective of this 5-year project is to identify which of two therapy programs, the Shaker exercise versus traditional therapy, results in the largest number of stable, non-oral dysphagic patients who can swallow safely and return to full oral feeding after 6 weeks of intervention. The study is powered adequately so that this aim can be tested separately for head and neck cancer and stroke patients. Our primary outcome measure is return to oral feeding, i.e., 100% of nutrition and hydration by mouth.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00059670

Run by

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

People needed

204

Expected to finish

2007-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2010-01-13

Who can join

Age: 21 and older, up to 90. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may not qualify if…

• Pharyngeal surgical procedures
• Other neuromuscular disorders such as
• Lack of cognition
• Metabolic myopathies
• History of alcoholic neuropathy
• Steroid myopathy
• Cervical spine injury, lesions, or large osteophytes
• Kerns-Sayers Syndrome
• Individuals unable to exercise independently
• Oculo-pharyngeal and other dystrophies
• Current use of anticholinergics:
• bensodiazopin, antihistamines
• Myasthenia gravis
• Elimination of aspiration with posture during VFG
• Absent pharyngeal swallow on VFG
• Aspiration before or during the swallow (pre and intradeglutitive aspiration)
• Not completely tube feeding dependent

Where it is running

• Medical College University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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