title: Acute characteristics of pediatric Dysphagia subsequent to traumatic brain injury: videofluoroscopic assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the acute characteristics of swallowing impairment in a group of children post moderate/severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) by means of videofluoroscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen children with moderate/severe TBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Videofluoroscopy at an average of 27.7 days post-injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects demonstrated a range of dysphagia severity levels: mild-moderate (n = 8), moderate (n = 6), moderate-severe (n = 3), and severe (n = 1) and had a combination of oral and pharyngeal phase characteristics. More specifically, observable features or physiological impairments that were identified included reduced lingual control, hesitancy of tongue movement, repetitive tongue pumping, the presence of aspiration (including silent aspiration), delayed swallow reflex trigger, reduced laryngeal elevation and closure, and reduced peristalsis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data highlight the diversity of swallowing deficits and dysphagia severity levels in children following TBI and suggest that the former are consistent with a pattern of oropharyngeal impairments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Murdoch
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bilbie
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods*