Predictive value of clinical indices in detecting aspiration in patients with neurological disorders

Abstract

Objectives—(1) To evaluate the predictive value of a detailed clinical screening of aspiration in patients withneurological diseases, both with and without symptoms of dysphagia taking videofluoroscopy as the gold standard; (2) to assess the existence of risk factors for silent aspira-tion, measuring the cost-benefit ratio of radiological examination. Methods—93 consecutive patients meet-ing the diagnostic criteria for a neuro-logical disease with a risk of swallowing dysfunctions (cerebrovascular accidents, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease,multipl