Evaluating dysphagia in patients with cervical spinal cord injury using the modified barium swallow impairment profile

Background/Purpose : To clarify the characteristics of dysphagia in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) by using modi fi ed barium swallow impairment pro fi le (MBSImP) scoring in a video-fl uoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS). Methods : This retrospective study included the data of 10 patients with CSCI (9 men and 1 woman) with dysphagia admitted to the rehabilitation ward of a university medical hospital who had undergone VFSS. The patients ’ oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal impairments were evaluated using the MBSImP. Results : Comprising the MBSImP overall score, the median oral impairment total score (OT) was 10.5 (interquartile range [IQR]: 9 e 11), the median pharyngeal impairment total score (PT) was 11.0 (IQR: 8 e 13), and the median esophageal impairment score (EI) was 2 (IQR: 1 e 2). Although all three phases were affected, they were of lower clinical severity in this scoring system. Conclusion : All patients had impairments in the oral phase, pharyngeal phase, and esophageal phase. The MBSImP was useful for evaluating swallowing impairment in patients with CSCI.