Evaluation of dysphagia (Swallowing difficulty) in patients with neurological diagnosis with the Turkish eat-10 questionnaire

Aim: Dysphagia is especially common in neurovascular, neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. Dysphagia can be evaluated with instrumental methods such as videofluoroscopy or fiber optic endoscopic evaluation, as well as with the EAT-10 swallowing screening test. In our study, we aimed to find out the frequency of dysphagia in neurological patients. Materials and Methods: Demographic characteristics of patients who were diagnosed with stroke, multiple sclerosis, dementia, myasthenia gravis, guillain barre, cerebral palsy and myasthenia gravis as a result of anamnesis, clinical examination and laboratory findings (MR, BBT, EEG, EMG) in neurology outpatient clinics, wards and neurology intensive care units, The Turkish EAT-10 questionnaire was applied. Study Design is a cross-sectional prevalence study. Inclusion Criteria of Volunteers; Being 18 years old and over, feeding orally. Exclusion criteria; It was determined as feeding with NG tube, PEG or PEJ. Results: 300 patients were included in the study. Of these patients, 52.0% were male and 48.0% were female. The answers given to the EAT-10 test, which was evaluated over 40 points, were found to have an average of 6.22 points. The item with the highest score in the questionnaire was "I have difficulty swallowing solid foods" and the item with the lowest score was "I feel pain when swallowing". Since 3 points or more from the EAT-10 Test were considered abnormal, 69% of the patients scored within abnormal limits. 69.67% of the Stroke patients included in the study; 80% of Parkinson's patients; 60.8% of MS patients; 83.32% of dementia patients; 60% of Cerebral Palsy patients; 44.4% of GBS patients; On the other hand, 100% of MG patients were in the dysphagic group according to the evaluation. Conclusion: We recommend that dysphagia be evaluated with the EAT-10 screening test in patients who cannot be evaluated with instrumental tests because dysphagia is very common in neurological diseases.