Sensory Changes Related to Swallowing in Motor Neurone Disease

Dysphagia is common in motor neurone disease (MND) and associated with negative health and psychosocial outcomes.

Although largely considered a motor disease, a growing body of evidence suggests that MND can also affect the sensory system.

As intact sensation is vital for safe swallowing, and sensory changes can influence the clinical management of dysphagia in people living with MND, this review evaluated and summarised the current evidence for sensory changes related to swallowing in MND.

Of 3,481 articles originally identified, 29 met the inclusion criteria.

Of these, 20 studies reported sensory changes, which included laryngeal sensation, taste, gag reflex, cough reflex, tongue sensation, smell, palatal and pharyngeal sensation, silent aspiration, and undefined sensation of the swallowing mechanism.

Sensory changes were either described as decreased ( n  = 16) or heightened ( n  = 4).

In the remaining nine studies, sensory function was reported as unaffected.

The presence of changes to sensory function related to swallowing in MND remains inconclusive, although an increasing number of studies report sensory changes in some sensory domains.

Future research is needed to evaluate the prevalence of sensory changes in MND and how such changes may influence dysphagia and its management.