title: Head Lift Exercise Improves Swallowing Dysfunction in Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dysphagia due to bulbar involvement is a major symptom of patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). The aim of this pilot study was to test the efficacy and safety of the head lift exercise for swallowing dysfunction in SBMA.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 6 subjects with genetically confirmed SBMA and instructed them to perform the head lift exercise for 6 weeks. The efficacy outcome measures were the changes from baseline in tongue pressure, the scores of swallowing functional questionnaires, and the motor functional scales and parameters of videofluorography (VF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All subjects completed the study and no major adverse effects were recorded. Tongue pressure significantly increased by 19.2 ± 0.15% (p < 0.05) after the 6-week head lift exercise. The scores for oral dysphagia also improved, although there was no significant change in VF parameters or other variables examined pre- and post-exercise.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggested that the head lift exercise may improve swallowing dysfunction, particularly tongue pressure, in SBMA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mano
authors.forename: Masahisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katsuno
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Banno
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suga
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hashizume
authors.forename: Amane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hijikata
authors.forename: Seiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takatsu
authors.forename: Hirohisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000628:therapy*; D020966:Muscular Disorders, Atrophic / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects