Swallowing and Salivary Bioscience
Nicole Rogus-Pulia, PhD, is a speech-language pathologist who leads research on dysphagia, or swallowing dysfunction, in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Dysphasia and Alzheimer's Disease
Her team aims to systematically identify and characterize factors underlying dysphagia in patients with AD and to translate these findings into treatments for maintaining quality of life and prevention of pneumonia onset for both veterans and the general population. Specific interests include:
- Effects of intensive dysphagia rehabilitation, including tongue strengthening, on swallow function and health status
- Feasibility of exercise-based approaches to dysphagia treatment for patients with early stage AD
- Impact of oral microbial profiles and saliva production on oral health and pneumonia risk in patients with dysphagia