| Objective: To explore the efficacy of tongue pressure resistance feedback training on aspiration in patients with swallowing disorders after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods: Totally, 60 patients with HNC admitted to our rehabilitation department from September 2023 to March 2024 were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, with 30 cases in each group. The control group received conventional swallowing therapy, and the observation group received tongue pressure resistance feedback training in addition to conventional treatment. Functional oral intake scale (FOIS), video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), and Rosenbek penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) were assessed before and after treatment for both groups. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in FOIS level, VFSS, and PAS scores between the two groups before treatment. After 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, the FOIS tevel and VFSS scores of the patients in both groups increased (P＜0.05) and the PAS scores decreased (P＜0.05). After 8 weeks of treatment, the observation group showed significant improvement in FOIS level, VFSS, and PAS scores compared to the control group (P<0.05). The FOIS level varied over time, with no significant difference between the training methods, but it was possible that the training methods may have altered its trend of change. Both VFSS scores and PAS scores were influenced by both the training methods and the duration of treatment（P＜0.05）. Conclusion: Tongue pressure resistance feedback training combined with swallowing training plays a positive role in improving swallowing function and reducing aspiration risk in patients with HNC. |
