Intelligent Detection Technologies and Neurophysiological Biomarkers for Dysphagia and Dysarthria Assessment

Dysphagia and dysarthria, often resulting from neurological, degenerative, or developmental disorders, pose significant risks including malnutrition, aspiration, and impaired communication. Advances in neuroscience have revealed that disruptions in complex neural circuits—such as cortico-bulbar pathways and basal ganglia–cerebellar–cortical networks—underlie these sensorimotor disorders. While traditional evaluation methods, such as bedside screening, VFSS/FEES, and imaging, are widely used, they can be time-consuming, partially subjective, and suboptimal for ongoing monitoring. Recent studies highlight the potential of intelligent sensing and wearable technologies to objectively and non-invasively monitor swallowing and speech dynamics in real time. However, gaps remain in mechanistically linking peripheral sensor outputs with neural activity, validating biomarkers across disorders, and creating standardized pathways for clinical adoption.

This Research Topic aims to bridge neuroscience, engineering, and clinical practice to establish and validate neurophysiological signatures of swallowing and speech motor control. Specifically, it seeks to align central neural measures—such as EEG/MEG spectral features, cortico-muscular coherence, reflex metrics, TMS-evoked responses, and fNIRS signals—with wearable or peripheral data streams like surface EMG, accelerometry, cervical acoustics, tongue pressure, and respiratory patterns. The overarching goal is to create interpretable and mechanistically informed models that directly relate neural and peripheral activity to clinical outcomes, thus facilitating early detection, precise prognosis, and responsive treatment monitoring. Additionally, the Topic prioritizes stratification of biomarker performance across etiologies including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, MS, TBI, and cerebral palsy, as well as sensor-driven feedback for adaptative neuromodulation and therapeutic interventions.

The scope of this Research Topic encompasses technological, clinical, and regulatory innovations, with an emphasis on real-time, non-invasive detection and integrative data analysis. It welcomes research that advances signal analysis, fosters interoperability between disciplines, and addresses practical challenges for clinical translation and deployment. To gather further insights in the application and integration of intelligent sensing technologies for screening and assessment, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Neurophysiological mechanisms and circuits involved in swallowing and speech motor control

- Integration of neural biomarkers with wearable and peripheral sensor data; multimodal fusion and interpretable AI models

- Intelligent sensing platforms and clinical applications for dysphagia and dysarthria

- Translational research focused on comparative efficacy with traditional assessment modalities

- Strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration and scaling technology in clinical practice

- Ethical, regulatory, and workflow solutions supporting clinical validation and deployment