title: Frequency and Predictors of Dysphagia in Patients With Recent Small Subcortical Infarcts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Detailed data on the occurrence of swallowing dysfunction in patients with recent small subcortical infarcts (RSSI) in the context of cerebral small vessel disease are lacking. This prompted us to assess the frequency of and risk factors for dysphagia in RSSI patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified all inpatients with magnetic resonance imaging-confirmed RSSI between January 2008 and February 2013. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from our stroke database, and magnetic resonance imaging scans were reviewed for morphological changes. Dysphagia was determined according to the Gugging Swallowing Screen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 332 patients with RSSI (mean age, 67.7±11.9 years; 64.5% male). Overall, 83 patients (25%) had dysphagia, which was mild in 46 (55.4%), moderate in 26 (31.3%), and severe in 11 patients (13.3%). The rate of dysphagia in patients with supratentorial RSSI was 20%. Multivariate analysis identified a higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (P<0.001), pontine infarction (P<0.01), and more severe white matter hyperintensities (Fazekas grades 2 and 3, P=0.03) as risk factors for swallowing dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dysphagia is present in a quarter of patients with RSSI and has to be expected especially in those with higher stroke severity, pontine infarction, and severe white matter hyperintensities.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.).
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fandler
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.). thomas.gattringer@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gattringer
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.).
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eppinger
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.).
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doppelhofer
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.).
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pinter
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.).
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Niederkorn
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.).
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Enzinger
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.).
authors.forename: Joanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wardlaw
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (S.F., T.G., S.E., K.D., D.P., K.N., C.E., F.F.) and Division of Neuroradiology, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology (C.E.), Medical University of Graz, Austria; and Brain Research Imaging Centre, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (J.M.W.).
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fazekas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059345:Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016037:Single-Blind Method
keywords: cerebral small vessel diseases; deglutition disorders; infarction; magnetic resonance imaging; risk factors; stroke; stroke, lacunar