Keywords
Polymyositis
Scleroderma, Systemic
Deglutition Disorders
Speech Therapy
How to Cite
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of speech-language therapy on oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and dermatomyositis (DM), comparing structured therapy combined with speech-language management versus speech-language management alone. An observational pilot study was conducted with 19 participants (7 DM and 12 SSc) aged 18 to 65 years who had oropharyngeal dysphagia. Participants were assigned to two groups: Group A (structured speech-language therapy + speech-language management) and Group B (speech-language management alone). After eight months, they were re-evaluated using the same initial parameters. In patients with SSc, a reduction in symptoms was observed in both groups, with a greater magnitude in Group A. In patients with DM, there was slight improvement, with no significant difference between the groups. Speech-language therapy was associated with improvement in clinical parameters of dysphagia, especially in patients with SSc. Due to the small sample size, the results should be interpreted as exploratory.
References
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