Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40773044›Full record

ArticleDysphagia2026

The Effectiveness of Botulinum Toxin Injection for Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction-Related Dysphagia in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients.

Kai-Hsiang Hu, I-Pei Lee, Shu-Wei Tsai, David Shang-Yu Hung, Miyuki Hsing-Chun Hsieh, Yi-Jen Chen, Jenn-Ren Hsiao, Cheng-Chih Huang, Chun-Yen Ou, Chan-Chi Chang and 3 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Dysphagia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Kai-Hsiang HuEducation Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
I-Pei LeeDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Shu-Wei TsaiDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
David Shang-Yu HungDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Miyuki Hsing-Chun HsiehInstitute of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Yi-Jen ChenDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Jenn-Ren HsiaoDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Cheng-Chih HuangDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Chun-Yen OuDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Chan-Chi ChangDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Wei-Ting LeeDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Sen-Tien TsaiDepartment of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Hui-Chen SuChewing and Swallowing Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. i54071212@gs.ncku.edu.tw.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To evaluate the effectiveness of botulinum toxin injection in improving swallowing function in patients with cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction (CPMD) following radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Cohort study. Outpatients with NPC-related CPMD receiving endoscopy-guided botulinum toxin injection at National Cheng Kung University Hospital between 2017-2024. 15 NPC patients with CPMD were enrolled. Swallowing function was assessed using the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), penetration-aspiration scale (PAS), bolus residue scale (BRS), dynamic imaging grade of swallowing toxicity (DIGEST), normalized residue ratio scale for vallecular (NRRS_V) and pyriform sinus (NRRS_P), laryngeal elevation, epiglottic retroflexion, pharyngeal contraction ratio(PCR), bolus clearance ratio (BCR), and temporal swallowing parameters (oral transit time [OTT], pharyngeal response time [PRT], pharyngeal delay time [PDT], pharyngeal transit time [PTT], laryngeal elevation delay time [LEDT]). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre- and post-injection data. FOIS significantly improved after botulinum toxin injection (p = 0.0002). Objective measures showed a significant reduction in NRRS_P (p = 0.0067). Temporal characteristics also demonstrated significant improvement in OTT, PRT, and PTT (p = 0.0156, p = 0.0303, p = 0.0284, respectively). However, other objective measures showed no significant changes. Botulinum toxin injection may benefit specific swallowing parameters, such as NRRS_P, OTT, PTT, and PRT, and enhance FOIS in NPC patients with radiation-induced CPMD. However, its overall impact on swallowing function remains uncertain.

Indexed as

Botulinum ToxinsDeglutition DisordersNasopharyngeal CarcinomaNasopharyngeal NeoplasmsNeuromuscular AgentsPharyngeal MusclesAdultAgedCohort StudiesDeglutitionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeBotulinum ToxinsNeuromuscular AgentsBotulinum toxin injectionCricopharyngeal dysfunction related dysphagiaNasopharyngeal carcinoma

Identifiers

PMID40773044

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.