Dysphagia in Neuromuscular Diseases

Currently, there are very few resources that provide guidance for practicing clinicians in the area of neuromuscular diseases. Dysphagia in Neuromuscular Diseases approaches the subject in a unique manner, allowing clinicians to develop insights into diseases, syndromes, and neurological conditions that extend even beyond those specifically addressed in the text. Compared to competitive texts, this book uniquely provides in-depth coverage specific to dysphagia research with a much broader spectrum of neuromuscular diseases, and employs a physiologically based taxonomy.Recognizing there is no universally accepted methodology for classification of neuromuscular diseases, the authors have addressed this dilemma in three ways: (1) outlining the levels of the neuromuscular system, extending from the central nervous system to the muscle, with chapters devoted to diseases that are representative of pathologies at each level; (2) outlining normal respiratory physiology and airway defense mechanisms, with discussion of how these are altered by various neuromuscular disease processes and how this affects risk for secondary medical complications such as pneumonia; and (3) describing the neuromuscular conditions that are associated with the various diseases with discussion of approaches to evaluation, management and treatment that address the nature of the impairment. With over 50 years of combined clinical practice and extensive experience in working with patients diagnosed with various neuromuscular diseases, the authors offer practitioners the best available evidence to support treatment decisions.