Analysis of quality of life (QOL) has revealed that preservation of swallowing, speech, and breathing functions has a direct impact on QOL and that these functions are important patient-reported outcomes. The purposes of this study were to adapt and culturally validate the M.D. Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) to the Brazilian Portuguese language and to evaluate QOL related to dysphagia in patients treated for head and neck cancer. This was a cross-sectional study that included 72 adult patients with a mean age of 63 years who were treated for head and neck cancer. Construct validity and reliability analyses were performed through the comparison of the MDADI with three other health-related QOL questionnaires administered at the time of enrollment and MDADI application 2 weeks thereafter, respectively. Reliability was established by assuring both internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC). Test-retest reliability for the total score in the MDADI had an ICC greater than 0.795 (p < 0.001). The MDADI had significant statistical correlations with the other questionnaires. Patients treated for head and neck cancer had a mean total score of 83 on the MDADI, which is indicative of minimal limitation in overall QOL. In conclusion, the present study validates the adaptation of the MDADI to the Brazilian Portuguese language and provides another tool to evaluate the impact of dysphagia on the QOL of head and neck cancer patients.

Swallowing maneuvers are routinely trained in dysphagia rehabilitation with the assumption that practiced behaviors transfer to functional swallowing, however transfer is rarely examined in the deglutition literature. The goal of this study was to train the volitional laryngeal vestibule closure (vLVC) maneuver, which is a swallowing maneuver that targets prolonged laryngeal vestibule closure (LVC). In two different training experiments, 69 healthy adults underwent Long-hold (hold vLVC as long as possible) or Short-hold vLVC training (hold vLVC for 2 seconds). Before and after vLVC training, natural swallows (swallowing without a therapeutic technique) were completed. The outcome variables included laryngeal vestibule closure reaction time and the duration of laryngeal vestibule closure. Results indicate that during both Long-hold and Short-hold vLVC trainings, vLVC swallows had faster laryngeal vestibule closure reaction times and longer durations of laryngeal vestibule closure than in pre-training 5ml liquid swallows. However, only faster laryngeal vestibule closure reaction times transferred to post-training 5ml liquid swallows (20–24% faster), but not prolonged durations of laryngeal vestibule closure. Our findings suggest that swallowing maneuver training has the potential to induce transfer of what was practiced to functional swallowing behavior, although not all practiced behaviors may generalize. These findings are significant for bolstering the effectiveness of dysphagia management medical settings and should be tested in individuals with dysphagia.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to translate, culturally validate and evaluate the Patients Concerns Inventory -Head and Neck (PCI-H&N) in a consecutive series of Brazilian patients. Method: This study included adult patients treated for upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer. The translation and cultural adaptation of the PCI-H&N followed internationally accepted guidelines and included a pretest sample of patients that completed the first Brazilian Portuguese version of the PCI. Use, feasibility and acceptability of the PCI were tested subsequently in a consecutive series of UADT cancer patients that completed the final Brazilian Portuguese version of the PCI and a Brazilian Portuguese version of the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL). Associations between physical and socio-emotional composite scores from the UW-QOL and the PCI were analyzed. Results: Twenty (20) patients participated in the pretest survey (translation and cultural adaptation process), and 84 patients were analyzed in the cultural validation study. Issues most selected were: fear of cancer returning, dry mouth, chewing/ eating, speech/voice/being understood, swallowing, dental health/teeth, anxiety, fatigue/tiredness, taste, and fear of adverse events. The three specialists most selected by the patients for further consultation were speech therapist, dentist and psychologist. Statistically significant relationships between PCI and UW-QOL were found. Conclusion: The translation and cultural adaptation of the PCI into Brazilian Portuguese language was successful, and the results demonstrate its feasibility and usefulness, making this a valuable tool for use among the Brazilian head and neck cancer population.Keywords: surveys and questionnaires, quality of life, head and neck neoplasms, validity and reliability, outcomes research.