Stage transition duration in patients poststroke

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between prolonged stage transition duration (STD) and aspiration. STDs and aspiration ratings were made from videofluoroscopic examinations previously obtained for other studies. Three groups of subjects were examined: (1) 20 stroke patients who aspirated, (2) 31 stroke patients who did not aspirate, and (3) 15 normal subjects. Aspirators poststroke had the longest STD of the three groups. Furthermore, results indicated that STD correctly predicted the presence of aspiration 75% of the time and correctly predicted the absence of aspiration in stroke patients 93% of the time. Nonaspirating stroke participants had similar patterns to the normal subjects. Implications for these findings are discussed.