DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, SOUTH CAROLINA
Grant: $221,250 - National Institutes of Health - Aug. 11, 2009
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Award Description: The primary purpose of this funding is to support the development and testing of, a commonly occurring and often chronic upper aerodigestive disorder that results from head and neck cancer treatments and neurological disorders. The funding will allow the testing of a novel, evidenced-based therapy strategy for patients with chronic dysphagia in order to optimize the safety and efficiency of eating and drinking. We are taking the exploratory initiative to target ?disordered? respiratory-swallowing coordination in this clinical population. Our immediate goal is to encourage an ?optimal? respiratory-swallow pattern that facilitates a reduction in swallowing impairment and hence, improves swallowing safety and efficiency in a group of largely underserved, chronically dysphagic oropharyngeal cancer patients who have exhausted all other treatment options. We will present patients with visually guided, respiratory feedback and train appropriate respiratory-swallow coordination patterns, thereby providing the airway protection and mechanical benefits that have been observed in normal individuals. We are consequently proposing a series of exploratory measures to test the effects of respiratory-swallow intervention in this clinical trial. Our intention is to use these preliminary clinical trial data to motivate a larger clinical trial and perhaps expand the approach to other patient groups that have indications of respiratory-swallow impairments (pulmonary disease and stroke). The broad goal of this research is to develop optimal respiratory-swallow phase training methods and regimens that, alone or combined with traditional swallowing treatments, improve swallowing function in the acute phases of recovery. The findings from this study will be key in refining and extending our proposed treatment to this and potentially other at-risk patient groups.
Project Description: Our goal is to test a new therapeutic procedure that provides patients with a respiratory strategy for swallowing that minimizes the coordinative demands between breathing and swallowing and optimizes airway protection and swallowing mechanics. We are proposing a clinical trial to explore an innovative behavioral treatment regime for the remediation of chronic swallowing disorders consequent to oropharyngeal cancer. Further, and although not the primary focus of the current initiative, the study will increase our understanding of the underlying bases of swallowing impairments in oropharyngeal cancer patients, including the role of respiratory stability, that can be used to further refine treatment protocols for this and other patient populations. The significant deliverables and designated measurements include: 1. Respiratory and swallowing measurement equipment will be digitally synchronized to be able to capture respiratory and swallowing data with high temporal resolution; 2. Respiratory-swallowing phase patterns and their relationship to swallowing impairment will be identified using a unequivocal kinematic, airflow, and swallowing impairment measures obtained during videofluoroscopic swallowing studies of patients following treatments for oropharyngeal cancer; 3. Instruct the first hierarchial, compentency based respiratory-swallowing phase training therapy using visually aided feedback; 4. Measure the effect of respiratory-swallowing phase training on measures of swallowing impairment and airway protection (penetration/aspiration).
Jobs Summary: Graduate Assistant (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Aug. 11, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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