Juan Carlos Arango

Poster 18: Predictors of Extended Rehabilitation Length of Stay After TBI

biomechanics. Results: Patients demonstrated the ability to participate in intensive repetitive swallow training. Patients’ swallow biomechanics and endogenous secretion management were improved by training. Conclusions: We found that intensive swallow training provided with cervical accelerometry enhances swallowing rehabilitation for persons with acquired brain injury. Based on our experience, this noninvasive method is practical for use with patients in various rehabilitation settings. The established safety and noninvasive nature of the general treatment technique suggests that the use of swallow training using accelerometry technology is a promising treatment modality for patients with acquired brain injury and swallowing impairments. More research is forthcoming and will shed more light on the mechanisms underlying improvement, the clinical benefits of treatment and the most cost-effective protocols.