Dysphagia in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Relationships between disease progression and Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing

Objective Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between the disease severity of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and the following parameters of Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES): premature spillage, post-swallowing residue and aspiration. Methods We studied 202 patients (95 women and 107 men) with ALS; of these, 136 had spinal and 66 had bulbar onset. They were analyzed according to the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functioning Rating Scale (ALSFRS) and the b-ALSFRS subscale (bulbar scale). All subjects underwent FEES. Post-swallowing residue was classified into four classes (0–3); premature spillage and aspiration were considered either present or absent. Results Spearman's correlation test showed a highly significant correlation (p