Dysphagia In Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Diagnostic And Evaluation Strategies

Abstract

Dysphagia after multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common disabling symptom which can lead to serious complications. Regular screening and assessment of dysphagia in patients with MS are important. Using valid and reliable instruments to measure dysphagia in MS patients is a crucial component in clinical practice and of research quality. There are various strategies to diagnose and assess the dysphagia in patients with MS. Screening strategies are for early diagnosis of the dysphagia. Clinical, non-instrumental strategies are used to verify the presence and to determine the severity and cause of dysphagia. Instrumental strategies are complementary to clinical examination to provide objective data on the various aspects of swallowing dysfunctions. This review revealed a few validated tools for dysphagia assessment in MS. The Dysphagia in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire (DYMUS) and the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) are the only validated MS-specific dysphagia tools. Further development of valid and reliable MS-specific screening and assessment tools that can be administered rapidly and scored easily to detect dysphagia and evaluate clinical outcomes in adults with MS is imperative. Until then, validation and metric evaluation of the screening and assessment tools currently available are required.