Diagnoses, sex, age, presence of bulbar or pseudobulbar signs, history of recent chest infection, and swallowing speed in the groups with normal or abnormal swallowing (as defined in text)
| Diagnosis of individual cases | Sex | Age (y) | Bulbar signs | Pseudobulbar signs | Chest infection | Swallowing speed (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal swallowing: | ||||||
| Hereditary spastic paraplegia plus | F | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Encephalitis | M | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| Encephalitis | M | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 56 |
| Multiple sclerosis | M | 44 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 102 |
| Multiple sclerosis | F | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| Multiple sclerosis | F | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 |
| Multiple sclerosis | F | 62 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 76 |
| Multiple sclerosis | F | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 |
| Motor neuron disease | M | 55 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 94 |
| Motor neuron disease | M | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 110 |
| Motor neuron disease | M | 66 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 60 |
| Motor neuron disease | M | 45 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 84 |
| Myasthenia gravis | F | 42 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 58 |
| Myasthenia gravis | M | 62 | — | — | 0 | 207 |
| Myopathy | F | 45 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 155 |
| Abnormal swallowing: | ||||||
| Lateral medullary stroke | M | 43 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Parkinsonism | M | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 |
| Parkinsonism | M | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Hydrocephalus | F | 32 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 43 |
| Syringomyelia | F | 32 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 36 |
| Encephalitis | F | 32 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| Multiple sclerosis | M | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| Motor neuron disease | F | 59 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Motor neuron disease | F | 55 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 22 |
| Distal spinal muscular atrophy | F | 38 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Bilateral partial Xth palsy | M | 71 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Oculopharyngeal dystrophy | F | 45 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Mitochondrial disorder | F | 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
Bulbar signs = the presence (1) or absence (0) of jaw, facial, palatal, pharyngeal, or tongue weakness (or fasciculation) of presumed lower motor neuron or muscular origin or depressed or absent palatal or pharyngeal sensation; pseudobulbar signs = presence (1) or absence (0) of a brisk jaw jerk, facial or jaw weakness or spastic dysarthria of presumed upper motor neuron origin; chest infection = infection either in the past year or during the current acute illness. Swallowing speed is expressed as % predicted (see methods). — Incomplete data at time of testing.