Cortical Function Changes During Swallowing in Patients With Dysphagia in Lateral Medullary Syndrome

Cortical Activation and Functional Connectivity Changes During Swallowing in Patients With Dysphagia in Lateral Medullary Syndrome

The goal of this observational study is to detect the alteration of cortical activation and functional connectivity during swallowing in patients with Lateral Medullary Syndrome (LMS) dysphagia by functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The main questions it aims to answer are:

• The alteration of cortical activation during swallowing in patients with LMS compared with healthy subjects.
• The alteration of cortical functional connectivity during swallowing in patients with LMS compared with healthy subjects.

fNIRS will be used to detect cortical activation and functional connectivity during swallowing tasks in LMS patients and healthy subjects, and to compare the differences between patients and healthy subjects.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The first ischemic stroke was confirmed by head MRI as LMS;
• 18-80 years old, right-handed;
• Dysphagia was confirmed by video fluoroscopic swallow study(VFSS);
• Conscious enough to cooperate with fNIRS testing;
• No previous neurological or mental illness.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other central nervous system diseases (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, intracranial tumors, etc.);
• Other diseases causing dysphagia (tumors of the esophagus, larynx, nasopharynx, etc.);
• Serious physical diseases (cancer, fracture, etc.);
• Other mental disorders (mania, schizophrenia, etc.);
• Unconscious, unable to cooperate with the examination