Impact of oral sensory function including proprioception on swallowing in patients with stroke

So-Hyun Park; Dae-Hoon Ham; Joon-Ho Shin

doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000002702

Impact of oral sensory function including proprioception on swallowing in patients with stroke

Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2025 Feb 4. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002702. Online ahead of print.

Authors

So-Hyun Park¹, Dae-Hoon Ham¹, Joon-Ho Shin

Affiliation

¹ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, 58, Samgaksan-ro, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul 01022, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 39938001
DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002702

Abstract

Objective: To assess oral sensory deficits and their correlation with mastication and swallowing in patients with stroke.

Design: This prospective observational study was conducted in the stroke unit of a rehabilitation hospital. The inclusion criterion was first occurrence of stroke with a unilateral lesion. Patients underwent oral sensory tests, including tactile sensation (light touch, two-point discrimination) and proprioception, along with mastication and swallowing assessments via videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS).

Results: Among 36 patients, contralesional sides exhibited reduced oral sensory function (light touch, two-point discrimination, and proprioception of lips) compared with ipsilesional sides (p = 0.003, p = 0.001, p = 0.046, respectively). Oral proprioception was negatively correlated with mastication and swallowing. Proprioception of tongue showed negative correlation with mastication (p = 0.035), while combined value of proprioception of teeth, lip, and tongue showed negative correlation with time per swallow. Contralesional light touch and two-point discrimination influenced swallow items in TOMASS and pharyngeal phase items in VFSS.

Conclusion: Patients with stroke demonstrated contralesional oral sensory deficits, which were associated with impaired mastication and swallowing. Oral proprioception was correlated with mastication and swallowing, whereas tactile sensation correlated with the pharyngeal phase.