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Review
. 2018 Oct 7;17(4):180-188.

Prevalence of dysphagia in multiple sclerosis and its related factors: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Alireza Aghaz  1 , Alireza Alidad  2 , Ehsan Hemmati  3 , Hussein Jadidi  4 , Leila Ghelichi  2   5
Affiliations
Review

Prevalence of dysphagia in multiple sclerosis and its related factors: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Alireza Aghaz et al. Iran J Neurol. .

Abstract

Background: Dysphagia is the most prevalent sign of multiple sclerosis (MS) which can reduce the quality of life and augment mortality in the final stages of MS. We presented a systematic review to estimate the prevalence of dysphagia in general and separately for each evaluation method (subjective and objective), and to analyze the causes of this rampant disease. Methods: Cross-sectional and prospective cohort studies were reviewed and scientific proofs were evaluated consistent with the pre-specified levels of certainty. Results: Twenty-two articles entered the meta-analysis phase; the estimation of the general prevalence of dysphagia in MS-affected patients was 43.33% related to all the 22 studies. Moreover, the estimate of the prevalence via the subjective (16 studies) and objective (6 studies) methods were 37.21% and 58.47%, respectively. Conclusion: This study obtained the prevalence rate of dysphagia in patients affected by MS globally, yet there was infinite statistical society and limited methodological quality. Thus, more extensive studies are required for a better understanding of the global epidemiology regarding dysphagia in MS.

Keywords: Dysphagia; Multiple Sclerosis; Prevalence; Systematic Review.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The flowchart of study selection process
Figure 2
Figure 2
Rate of dysphagia prevalence in multiple sclerosis (MS)-affected patients and its 95% confidence interval (CI) in the considered studies based on the random effects model; the midpoint of each line shows the estimation of the prevalence and the length of the line indicates the 95% CI of each study. The rhombic sign shows the rate for the prevalence combination in the studies.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Meta-regression graph of dysphagia prevalence in the patients affected to multiple sclerosis (MS) according to the considered duration of the studies; the circles show the weight of the studies.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Meta-regression graph of dysphagia prevalence in the patients affected to multiple sclerosis (MS) according to the sample size; the circles show the weight of the studies.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Meta-regression graph of dysphagia prevalence in the patients affected to multiple sclerosis (MS) according to the average age of the patients; the circles show the weight of the studies.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Funnel plot for the included studies with regards to the “subjective” group
Figure 7
Figure 7
Funnel plot for the included studies with regards to the “objective” group
Figure 8
Figure 8
Geographical dispersion of the studies about dysphagia prevalence in multiple sclerosis (MS)-affected patients
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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