Background: This study aims to evaluate neurogenic dysphagia in individuals with various neurological disorders.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted adults with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), stroke, or Parkinson's Disease (PD) who presented with dysphagia. Assessments included the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) for dietary status, the Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) with Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) for swallowing function, and the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and Swallow Quality of Life Questionnaire (SWAL-QOL) for dysphagia severity and swallowing/eating-related quality of life (SRQoL), respectively. Statistical analyses included ANOVA.

Results: The study included 105 participants with MS, stroke, and PD groups. SWAL-QOL scores were significantly higher in the MS and PD groups compared to the stroke group (p = 0.001). Stroke patients had the most severe overall swallowing difficulties, while MS patients experienced the highest rate of aspiration (37 %). Fatigue levels were significantly higher in the MS and PD groups (p = 0.001), and social function scores were lowest in the stroke group (p = 0.041). No significant differences were observed in eating desire, fear of eating, sleep quality, communication, or EAT-10 scores across the groups.

Conclusions: This study highlights the differential impact of neurogenic dysphagia on swallowing function and SRQoL. Although dysphagia is a known issue in acute neurological conditions such as strokes, individuals with progressive diagnoses such as MS should be referred to swallowing clinics at an early stage, keeping in mind that it can lead to serious consequences that can affect their quality of life.