January 2024 Newsletter

Happy New Year!

Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings. Life's not about expecting, hoping and wishing, it's about doing, being and becoming and overcoming. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right or at least do it better than next year.
Reset, Refocus, Recreate, Restart!
Look forward to working together with you in 2024!

The 20th edition! DiagnosTEX 2024 Dysphagia Calendars are now available! Our gift to you for the New Year!

New Beginnings

We are seeing both adults and peds! Call us to learn more! 2024 will bring an expansion of business at DiagnosTEX with lots of advancement to come! DiagnosTEX will continue to provide MBSS both on the mobile office and on an outpatient basis for adults and pediatrics, this will be your one stop shop for the best quality dysphagia healthCARE for Modified Barium Swallow Studies in DFW! For 20 years this has been our main focus and this is our specialty!

Unpredictable Weather in Texas

It’s been a warm winter… so far! - Unfortunately, in Texas we typically do not get a beautiful flaky snowfall, we get ice (usually black ice). Our weather can change overnight! This kind of weather obviously becomes a problem for anyone who travels. Most of our daily routine is traveling extensively in all directions! As winter approaches and the threat of severe weather conditions arise, DiagnosTEX owners and drivers will evaluate the conditions of the roads and DiagnosTEX will contact all scheduled facilities immediately if we are unable to meet our appointments for that day. If the weather conditions are unsafe for driving, we will cancel the day and reschedule the studies as promptly as possible. Even though roads may be passable in one area, does not mean passing through another area to get there is possible and we have to take all routes and directions into consideration. We have precious cargo on board on mobile clinics, most importantly our staff!

TSHA is scheduled to be in Fort Worth February 22-24

Registration for the 67th Annual Convention & Exhibition is now open, register now for lowest rate. DiagnosTEX will be at booth 215! Look forward to reconnecting with everyone. I will be presenting with Lisa Milliken, MA, SLP-CCC, FNAP, CDP, RAC- CT and Janice Silva -Aranda on a course titled Evidence-Based Evaluation and Management of Dysphagia with Dementia on Thursday, February 22, 2024 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM. Pam and I will be speaking with TSHA Business’ Management Committee on Career Navigation Through a Changing World if Healthcare: A Panel Discussion with the TSHA Business Management Committee on Friday from 1-3pm Hope you can join in on both of these sessions!

Why are you not Ampcare ESP certified yet?

Have you ever wondered exactly how Ampcare works? Ampcare's Effective Swallowing Protocol provides neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to the muscles used for swallowing. When applied to the submental muscles (the ones that help elevate the larynx during swallowing), the ESP technology can raise the hyo-laryngeal complex in the proper direction. The patient performs an effortful swallow while the stimulation is on, creating a more effective exercise as the patient has to close a stretched laryngeal vestibule, or airway, against an intrinsic resistance. Don't forget, Ampcare offers a facial placement to improve the strength and function of muscles that affect the oral phase of swallowing! So, if you're working with dysphagia patients that could benefit from timely, more complete airway protection, Ampcare is the tool you need! If your patient needs to improve lip closure, mastication or oral containment, Ampcare is STILL the tool you need! Research has shown that repetitive performance of this exercise leads to:
💪Faster airway closure times;
💪Improved speed, timing and strength of a swallow;
💪Decreased risk for penetration and aspiration.

Where is the research?

Over 15 Research articles listed below, find out more at www.ampcarellc.com

Research and Publications:

Martindale et al 2020: ESSD Poster Presentation: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Plus Intensive Exercise Against Resistance (Ampcare ESP) in the Treatment of Post-Stroke Dysphagia: Further Evidence for Positive Outcomes.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation plus rehabilitative exercise as a treatment for dysphagia in stroke and non-stroke patients in an NHS setting: Feasibility and Outcomes. Journal: Geriatrics (2019)
Article: The effect of transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation on laryngeal vestibule closure timing in swallowing. Journal: BMC Ear, Nose and Throat (2018)
Article: Effects of submental surface electrical stimulation on swallowing kinematics in health adults: An error-based learning paradigm. Journal: American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (2018)
Article: Combined electrical stimulation and exercise for swallow rehabilitation post stroke: a pilot randomised control trial. Journal: International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders (2018)
Electroceuticals: Advances in Electrostimulation Therapies. Editor: Arshad Majid 2017; Springer International Publishing (Textbook Only)
Phase II RCT using Ampcare’s ESP™-International Award Winning Poster- Presented at DRS in Chicago, March 2015
Phase II RCT using Ampcare’s ESP- ESSD Poster-Brussels, Belgium 2014
UK Swallowing Research Group-Presented in London-2014
Ampcare’s Posture Device Validation, C. Watts (TCU)-Presented in Torino, Italy-2013
UK Phase I – European Society for Swallowing Disorders (ESSD) – Barcelona, Spain-2012
UK Swallowing Research Group-Presented in London-2010
Hard to Swallow-Review Article- 2008; Presented in New Orleans (ASHA) 2009
Deciphering Dysphagia with Ampcare’s ESP 1998
Promoting Laryngeal Elevation with E-Stim-1998

Dysphagia Tidbit

Relationship between mastication and cognitive function in the elderly. Mastication has been shown to promote and preserve general health, especially the cognitive function of the brain, beyond its primary functions of food intake and digestion. MRI’s show increased cortical blood flow and widely activates various cortical areas. Twenty -five normal subjects and 30 with cognitive impairments were randomly selected at a hospital for this study. Discussion shows that dysfunctional mastication affects cognitive function, contributing to senile dementia. The loss of teeth induces pathological changes in the hippocampus and deficits in learning and memory with significant greater odds of cognitive impairment. The results show a clear correlation and clinical relevance is evident. There was also a significant correlation between subjects with renal disease and type II diabetes and number of teeth.
^{Ma. Therese Sta. Maria, Yoko Hasegawa, Aye Mya Mya Khaing, Simonne Salazar, Takahiro Ono, The relationships between mastication and cognitive function: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Japanese Dental Science Review, Volume 59, 2023,}