Neurogenic Dysphagia

Book excerpt: This book is a clinical manual that covers the whole spectrum of swallowing and its disorders. It starts with physiology of swallowing, pathophysiology of disordered deglutition, diagnostic methods (clinical and instrumental) and ends with an in-depth’s and up-to-date presentation of current treatment options. The clinically most relevant topics of dysphagia management on the stroke unit and the intensive care unit are dealt with in separate chapters. Also the closely intertwined issue of nutritional management is specifically addressed. Most importantly, the book covers all obligatory topics of the Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)-curriculum, an educational initiative that started in Germany in 2014 and is currently being extended to other European and non-European countries. The book is richly illustrated and an online video section provides a number of typical patient cases. FEES is probably the most commonly chosen method for the objective assessment of swallowing and its disorders. It is used in stroke units, intensive care facilities, geriatric wards but also in rehabilitation clinics and within dedicated outpatient services. This book on neurogenic dysphagia therefore addresses a wide range of different medical disciplines, such as neurologists, geriatricians, intensive care physicians, rehabilitation physicians, gastroenterologists, otolaryngologists, phoniatrists and also speech-language pathologists.