PP460 - MASSETER MUSCLE ULTRASONOGRAPHY AS A MARKER OF DYSPHAGIA IN AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS: NUTRIELA PROJECT

PP460

MASSETER MUSCLE ULTRASONOGRAPHY AS A MARKER OF DYSPHAGIA IN AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS: NUTRIELA PROJECT

M. T. Zarco-Martín^1,*, M. C. Andreo-López¹, R. Ravé-García², C. Lorenzo-González ³, F. J. Vílchez-López⁴

¹UGC Endocrinología y Nutrición. , Hospital Universitario San Cecilio., Granada, ²UGC Endocrinología y Nutrición. , Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena. , Sevilla, ³UGC Endocrinología y Nutrición. , Hospital Universitario Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria., Santa Cruz de Tenerife, ⁴UGC Endocrinología y Nutrición. , Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain

Rationale: Dysphagia is a common complication in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), impacting nutrition and quality of life. Identifying objective predictors, such as masseter muscle ultrasound measurements, may improve early detection.

Methods: We conducted an ambispective multicenter observational study of 109 ALS patients. Masseter muscle thickness at rest and during contraction was measured bilaterally using ultrasonography. Statistical analysis included comparison between dysphagic and non-dysphagic groups (t-test), ROC curve analysis for optimal cut-off points, and logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: 54% were female, with a mean age of 64.3 years. 54% had dysphagia. Patients with dysphagia had lower mean masseter thickness than those without dysphagia (1.03 ± 0.22 cm vs. 1.14 ± 0.24 cm; p = 0.012). Right masseter thickness ≤ 0.975 cm (42% sensitivity, 84% specificity, AUC 0.633, p = 0.013) and mean masseter thickness ≤ 1.575 cm (73% sensitivity, 49% specificity, AUC 0.635, p = 0.014) predicted dysphagia (Figure 1). Logistic regression showed that higher right masseter thickness (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02–0.61, p = 0.012) and mean masseter thickness (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.02–0.64, p = 0.015) were associated with dysphagia absence.

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Conclusion: Masseter ultrasound measurements, particularly right and mean thickness, are significantly associated with dysphagia in ALS patients and may serve as non-invasive screening tools to identify patients at risk for swallowing dysfunction, facilitating early nutritional interventions.

Disclosure of Interest: M. T. Zarco-Martín Other: This study received financial support from Persan Farma., M. C. Andreo-López Other: This study received financial support from Persan Farma., R. Ravé-García Other: This study received financial support from Persan Farma., C. Lorenzo-González Other: This study received financial support from Persan Farma., F. J. Vílchez-López Other: This study received financial support from Persan Farma.