MuScle WastIng and DysphaGia iN CriticAlly IlL Patients (SIGNAL)
The goal of this study is to find out how muscle wasting in the mouth and throat affects swallowing (dysphagia) in adults who are critically ill and being treated in intensive care units. The main aims of this research study are to understand: how much and how quickly the oral and suprahyoid muscles waste in critically
| Condition(s) | Critical Illness, Dysphagia, Muscle Wasting in Critically Ill, Swallowing Disorders |
|---|---|
| Status | Recruiting |
| Study type | Observational |
| Summary | The goal of this study is to find out how muscle wasting in the mouth and throat affects swallowing (dysphagia) in adults who are critically ill and being treated in intensive care units. The main aims of this research study are to understand: how much and how quickly the oral and suprahyoid muscles waste in critically ill participants, and whether muscle wasting causes problems with swallowing. The investigators will compare critically ill participants with non-critically ill participants to determine if muscle wasting is linked to swallowing problems. In this study, participants will have the size and strength of their mouth and throat muscles measured at four different times during their critical care admission and hospital stay. Tests will also be performed to check how well and how sa |
| Who can participate | Inclusion Criteria: * Adults \>18 years * Receiving mechanical ventilation via endotracheal tube and/or tracheostomy. Expected to receive ventilation for at least 72 hours. * Expected to survive admission and spend more than 7 days in the intensive care unit. Control participants * Adults \>18 years * Receiving ward-based care. * Expected to survive hospital admission. Present with a primary medical diagnosis of acute medical or surgical illness, not requiring critical care admission. Exclusion Criteria: Applies to both critically ill and control participants. * Pregnancy * Patients with a diagnosis of a primary neuromuscular pathology (e.g., motor neurone disease), central nervous system disease (e.g., stroke, Guillain barre), traumatic brain injury, connective tissue disease (e.g., scler |
| Ages | 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Lead sponsor | Barts & The London NHS Trust |
| Locations | London, United Kingdom |
| Start date | 2025-08-01 |
| NCT ID | NCT07076524 |
| Official listing | https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07076524 |