Tastes so good: Learning to swallow after stroke

Quincy, Illinois television station WGEM highlighted a trial at the University of Cincinnati testing an at-home tongue endurance exercise to improve patients’ swallowing function.

“Eating and drinking is something we all take for granted and do every single day,” said Brittany Krekeler, PhD, assistant professor and clinician-scientist at the UC College of Medicine’s Dysphagia Rehabilitation Laboratory. “A lot of patients that are recovering from stroke do have what we call oral phase impairments in swallowing and that their tongue is weak."

Patients enrolled in the trial led by Krekeler receive a device with a pressurized bulb that connects to their phone or tablet through Bluetooth to give them real-time feedback about how hard they are pressing the bulb with their tongue. Participants in the trial will press their tongue to the bulb, with the device recording the number of times they do so and if they meet their goal. They’ll complete the exercises three times a day for eight weeks, with their goal increasing as they build endurance. 

After a stroke, patient Kevin Moss had to learn how to walk, talk and swallow again. Following surgery, he worked with Krekeler and did tongue exercises to strengthen his swallowing function.

“I eat anything and everything now,” he told WGEM.

Watch or read the WGEM article.

Featured photo at top of a patient working in the Dysphagia Rehabilitation Laboratory. Photo/Rachel Treinen Photography.