Gap Education
April 20, 2024, Live, Synchronous, 7-Hour Webinar
A Current Review of Myasthenia Gravis (MG): Speech & Swallowing Mechanisms
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neurology diagnosis with fatigable weakness of the bulbar muscles impacting underpinnings of speech and swallowing . This session translates MG's autoimmune neuromuscular junction pathology, immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and G3 (IgG3) antibodies attacking acetylcholine receptors, into plain-language clinical relevance for speech and swallowing management. Wendy L. Olsen, PhD, CCC-SLP walks through the underlying physiology, from acetylcholine receptor destruction at the neuromuscular junction to the resulting fatigable weakness that presents differently across ocular, generalized, early-onset, and late-onset MG, and reviews the classification system used across the multidisciplinary team, the diagnostic tools that confirm the disease, and the pharmacological management, including acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, immunosuppressive therapy, and plasma exchange, that typically precedes speech and swallowing intervention.
Building from that physiological foundation, learners explore SLP-specific assessment considerations, including how medication timing and fatigability should shape evaluation scheduling and interpretation, along with management strategies for both the flaccid dysarthria and dysphagia commonly seen in MG. Topics include respiratory strength training, diet modification, compensatory strategies, and emerging non-fatiguing rehabilitative exercise protocols such as isometric lingual strengthening. A detailed case study of a woman with bulbar-predominant generalized MG ties these concepts together, illustrating how fatigability, medication timing, and multidisciplinary coordination shape a realistic plan of care.
Sample Course Materials
Sample Course Materials
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the underlying physiological mechanisms/etiology of Myasthenia Gravis (MG) and how it contributes to the speech and swallowing mechanisms.
2. Identify 2 potential management strategies/techniques for dysphagia in MG.
Target Audience: Intermediate level
CE Credit: 0.1 ASHA CEUs can be awarded to ASHA members. No partial CE credit is provided.
To earn a certificate, and ASHA CEUs if desired, eligible learners must do the following:
-
View the entire recorded course
-
Obtain 80% on a short post assessment (may be retaken as needed).
-
Complete required items in a learner survey.
Available Soon!
Instructor
Wendy L. Olsen, PhD, CCC-SLP
Wendy L. Olsen, PhD, CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor in the Rehabilitation Sciences Department at Appalachian State University's Beaver College of Health Sciences, where she directs the Respiratory, Aerodigestive, Airway Defense (RAAD) Lab. She also holds a courtesy affiliate appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. Dr. Olsen earned her PhD in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of South Florida in 2019, with specializations in cognitive neuroscience and psycholinguistics, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the University of Florida, where she studied the neural control of airway protective behaviors.
Dr. Olsen's research takes a translational approach to respiratory physiology and airway protective behaviors in both normative and impaired states, including neuromuscular disease, neurological injury, and extreme environments. Her active research spans respiratory function and its relationship to cognition, ventilatory mechanics, breathing dynamics in high-performance environments, and computational modeling of swallowing, cough, and breathing control, with a particular focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative conditions. She is a three-time recipient of ASHA's Award for Continuing Education (2021, 2023, and 2025) and has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the ALS Association, and the Air Force Research Laboratory, including an NIH NHLBI Loan Repayment Program award and a National Research Council Fellowship.
Dr. Olsen has also worked as a speech-language pathologist with the ALS Association's Florida Chapter, providing assistive technology, AAC, and swallowing education and resources to patients with ALS. She is an active member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Academy of Neurologic Communication Disorders and Sciences, the American Physiological Society, and the Aerospace Medical Association, and regularly publishes and presents on the neuromechanics of breathing, swallowing, and cough.
Instructor Disclosures
Wendy L. Olsen, PhD, CCC-SLP
Financial Disclosures
Salary: Appalachian State University
Speaking / Instructor Fee and Royalties: Gap Education, LLC​
Non-financial Disclosures
PI of the NIH's National Heart Lung Blood Institute LRP Award
Gap Education Course Sponsorship Disclosure
Bracco Diagnostics provided financial support for the original recording from which this course was derived
Course Schedule
0:00 – 2:45: Introduction
2:45 – 9:20: Myasthenia Gravis Pathophysiology: The Neuromuscular Junction & Autoimmune Mechanism
9:20 – 21:20: Classification, Symptom Presentation & Myasthenic Crisis
21:20 – 25:55: Diagnostic Testing: Serology, Electrophysiology & Bedside Screening
25:55 – 30:05: Pharmacological & Medical Management
30:05 – 39:25: The SLP's Role: Speech Assessment & Management in MG
39:25 – 45:50: Swallowing Assessment: Clinical Signs, Imaging & Esophageal
Involvement
45:50 – 53:00: Dysphagia Management: Respiratory, Dietary & Rehabilitative Strategies
53:00 – 56:00: Case Study: Bulbar-Predominant Generalized MG
56:00 – 57:10: Summary, Resources & Closing
​
5 Minutes: Learner Assessment ​​
​
Rates and Registration
​
$25 - Standard Course Rate
Students: Email for 1/2 off
CFY: Email for 20% off
Other courses that may interest you
