During Michaelmas Term, OxTalks will be moving to a new platform (full details are available on the Staff Gateway).
For now, continue using the current page and event submission process (freeze period dates to be advised).
If you have any questions, please contact halo@digital.ox.ac.uk
Swallowing dysfunction (dysphagia) is a common problem after neurological diseases, with potentially life-threatening consequences including dehydration, malnutrition, aspiration and pneumonia, posing a substantial burden on healthcare resources. Exploring how the brain and swallowing muscles interact therefore becomes key to understanding the factors that can lead to dysphagia in disease states such as stroke. In my talk, I will first cover how the pharynx/swallowing is controlled by central pathways using brain imaging and brain stimulation based approaches. I will then examine how these neurophysiological pathways can be disrupted following neurological disease, and finally I will touch on how these pathways can be manipulated by neurostimulation to rehabilitate swallowing after neurogenic dysphagia associated with stroke and other neurological disorders.