UTILITY OF ULTRASOUND IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OROPHARYNGEAL DYSPHAGIA AFTER A STROKE: APPROACH FOR SPEECH THERAPY USE

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Stroke is a condition that can cause dysphagia and interfere with people's quality of life, so its early identification is essential. In this sense, ultrasound stands out as a promising tool that allows the evaluation and quantitative analysis of various structures of swallowing biomechanics. Therefore, it is the objective of this review to know the usefulness of US specifically in the management of oropharyngeal dysphagia after a stroke.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A search was performed in the PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases using the MeSH terms “Ultrasonography”, “Deglutition Disorders” and “Stroke”. Articles published from 2004 to December 2024 were leaked.

RESULTS: 12 articles were selected and analyzed considering the established inclusion criteria. US is highlighted as a non-invasive, portable, low-cost procedure, through which it is possible to assess the displacement of the hyoid, thyrohyoid approximation, lingual thickness, movement of the lateral pharyngeal wall, and movement of the diaphragm in a population with dysphagia after a stroke.

CONCLUSIONS: It was possible to identify those actions of swallowing biomechanics related to post-stroke dysphagia that can be assessed or analyzed using US, where speech pathologists can receive training in a simple way to use this procedure in a complementary way during evaluations or in the rehabilitation process of neurogenic dysphagia.