OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop a new screening dysphagia questionnaire for elderly people. METHOD: Initial questionnaire for mastication and swallowing function of elderly people were composed of 20 questions. Total of 30 experts were invited to participate in the Delphi survey, including physiatrists, occupational therapists and dietitians. Modified Delphi method was performed into two rounds. Twenty young adults and twenty elderly volunteers were tested with these items and were compared with other pre-existing tests. Also, validity of selected evaluating items was tested using VFSS. RESULT: For the first round of surveys, a consensus was reached on 72.5% of the questionnaire. Final agreement was reached on 98% of the questionnaire. The results of the first round survey with the 20 evaluation items and second round showed that the content validity ratio (CVR) and stability were high enough and met the criteria of consistent agreement from a group of specialists. The final round survey following the 1st and 2nd round survey was implemented, which finally reduced to 14 items from initial 20 items. The researcher allocated the items into the 3 categories. The score of the developed item were highly correlated with that of the pre-existing screening questionnaire and time parameters of the VFSS showing a significant difference according to the score. CONCLUSION: We developed a screening tool for evaluation of chewing nad swallowing function for the elderly people. Though it is necessary to be verified through large scale clinical studies, it may be simply applicable to the elderly people with mastication and swallowing dysfunction or could be evaluated by caregivers.
Aged* ; Caregivers ; Consensus ; Deglutition Disorders ; Deglutition* ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mastication* ; Methods ; NAD ; Nutritionists ; Specialization ; Volunteers ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of chin tuck maneuver on aspiration and pharyngeal residue using both videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). METHOD: Subjects with dysphagia were trained by occupational therapists for chin tuck maneuver at least for a week. After training, all participants underwent VFSS and FEES simultaneously with each neutral and chin tuck posture with various tests diets. The modified penetration-aspiration scale (mPAS) and a new scale for pharyngeal residue were used for evaluation of aspiration and pharyngeal residue. RESULT: A total of 35 patients (mean age, 64.2±12.1 years) were included. A significant change in the mPAS was caused by chin tuck posture in thin liquid (P=0.02) only in the VFSS evaluation. The vallecular residues were decreased by chin tuck posture in rice porridge (right, P=0.01; left, P=0.009), and thin liquid (right, P=0.007; left, P=0.01). The pyriform sinus residues were also decreased by chin tuck posture in rice porridge (right: P=0.02; left: P=0.03), curd-type yogurt (right, P=0.02; left, P=0.005), and thin liquid (right, P=0.001; left, P=0.003). CONCLUSION: Chin tuck maneuver is effective in preventing penetration or aspiration and in decreasing pharyngeal residues when evaluated by simultaneous VFSS and FEES.
Chin* ; Deglutition Disorders ; Deglutition* ; Diet ; Endoscopy ; Fees and Charges ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Methods ; Posture ; Pyriform Sinus ; Yogurt

Dysphagia is a frequent problem in dementia as Alzheimer's disease. Changes of swallowing function can be started even in the early stages of dementia. Structural and physiologic changes of oral/dental functions in the elderly underlies in persons with dementia. Cognitive based dysphagia is caused by impairment of consciousness and attention, memory, perception, and goal management related with feeding activities. Behavioral and psycholocal symptoms of dementia (BDSD) often results in dysphagia and eating disorders. Dysphagia in dementia should be approached individually. The goals of the program are the maintenance of the optimal nutrition and the prevention of complication such as aspiration pneumonia. Close observation by medical staffs and caregivers is the key to detect early signs of eating disorders in dementia patients. Assessment includes medical history, oral/dental function, swallowing function, and nutritional status. Sensory stimulation methods, adaptive equipment and utensil, diet modification, behavioral and environmental modification are the strategies for managing the problem. Enteral tube feeding is not proven to improve survival of end state dementia patients.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease ; Caregivers ; Consciousness ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Dementia* ; Eating ; Enteral Nutrition ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Medical Staff ; Memory ; Nutritional Status ; Pneumonia, Aspiration

Due to the increase in elderly population, there has been an increase in number of patients with dysphagia in the community. Dysphagia results in aspiration pneumonia and complications such as malnutrition, dehydration in the elderly. These complications increase the hospital admission rates and are often the cause of death. For this reason, the goal of healthcare for elderly with dysphagia living in the community is to select elderly with dysphagia by early screening, maintain adequate nutritious status and prevent future complications. The families of dysphagia elders should be educated and supported in order to successfully care for these patients at home. Severe cases of elderly with dysphagia are to receive health professional service in conjunction with the services from hospital based home care medical center. It also requires governance support so that health professionals such as speech language pathologists will care for dysphagia patients in home.
Aged* ; Cause of Death ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Dehydration ; Delivery of Health Care ; Health Occupations ; Home Care Services* ; Home Care Services, Hospital-Based ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Mass Screening ; Pneumonia, Aspiration

The goal of this short review is to summarize physiologic changes in gastrointestinal (GI) tract with aging and common GI disorders in the elderly. Normal aging is associated with various changes in GI tract, such as alteration of enteric nervous system, decreased smooth muscle excitability, and decreased GI motility. Elderly individuals frequently have GI disorders (e.g. dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux disease and functional constipation), however, physiologic change in GI tract with aging seems to have a minor effect on these disorders. Various aging-related chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or Parkinson's disease and frequently used drugs such as anticholinergics or opioid analgesics in the elderly are more important in pathogenesis of GI disorders in the elderly. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the aging-related physiologic GI change as well as an effect of comorbid chronic diseases and drugs on elderly patients with GI disorders.
Aged* ; Aging ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Chronic Disease ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Enteric Nervous System ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Gastrointestinal Tract* ; Humans ; Muscle, Smooth ; Parkinson Disease

Dysphagia is difficulty of effect movement of the bolus from the mouth to the stomach. From and anatomical standpoints, dysphagia is typically classified as oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD) and esophageal dysphagia (ED). In general, OPD is more highly prevalent condition compared with ED, and associated with severe complications such as malnutrition, dehydration and aspiration pneumonia. These complications are fatal especially in the elderly. Therefore, for preventing severe complications, appropriate and prompt management should be provided to dysphagia patients. However, the decrease of swallowing function is considered as a part of natural aging process. This condition is called as presbyphagia. Although Presbyphagia refers to characteristic changes in the process of swallowing of healthy elderly, it can be a risk factor of dysphagia. With this in mind, for avoiding overdiagnosis or underdiagnosis of dysphagia, we should distinguish among presbyphagia, dysphagia and other related diagnoses. For this reason, understanding about physiology of normal swallowing and natural changes of swallows by aging are essential for physicians. Hence, this review discusses the normal swallow, senile changes of swallow, and dysphagia especially in OPD.
Aged* ; Aging ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Dehydration ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Medical Overuse ; Mouth ; Physiology ; Pneumonia, Aspiration ; Risk Factors ; Stomach ; Swallows

When treating dysphagia, “Functional electrical stimulation” is used for the purpose of improving muscle function, which is useful for swallowing. During swallowing, contraction of suprahyoid muscle is one of the first events that triggers the swallowing reflex and helps the bolus prevent aspiration during swallowing. Moreover, one of the aims of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) on the neck is to augment the hyolaryngeal elevation. However, depending on the current intensity and electrodes placement, the outcomes may vary. Although FES is a relatively new treatment method in comparison to traditional treatment techniques for dysphagia, presenting clear evidence and effectiveness is uncertain due to the application of various techniques. Therefore, this study is designed to know the effects of FES according to intensity of stimulation and placement of electrode.
Deglutition Disorders ; Deglutition* ; Electric Stimulation ; Electrodes* ; Methods ; Neck ; Reflex

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes of swallowing function after ballooning dilatation (BD) and the Botox injection (BI) into the cricopharyngeus muscle in patients with severe dysphagia. METHOD: Nine severe dysphagic patients with cricopharyngeal dysfunction (CPD) who underwent BD and/or BI into the cricopharyngeal muscle were retrospectively reviewd. Patients who had severe dysphagia (Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS)≤2) after at least 3 months of the conventional swallowing therapy were included by a thorough review of medical records with videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS). Before and after several interventions (BD and/or BI), swallowing function was evaluated using VFSS. RESULT: Among 9 patients, 5 underwent both BD and BI, and the other 4 patients underwent only BD. Four among 9 cases showed that interventions were effective. Of the 5 cases with both BD and BI, 2 cases were effective for treatment of CPD. In all the effective 4 cases, pyriform sinus residue seemed to be related with FOIS. Of those cases, one case had long-term effect (more than 4 months) and the other 3 case had short term effect (less than 4 months). CONCLUSION: Interventions were effective in 4 among 9 cases with severe CPD and the therapeutic effect was sustained for more than 4 months. The results suggest that in CPD patients, the BD or BI into UES could be considered in selected patients.
Botulinum Toxins* ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dilatation* ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Pharyngeal Muscles ; Pyriform Sinus ; Retrospective Studies

Dysphagia is a common manifestation of myasthenia gravis (MG), but it has been rarely reported as the only symptom. We report a 46-year-old man who complained of dysphagia without any other symptoms. Based on a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), he showed decreased tongue base retraction, premature bolus loss, and incomplete velopharyngeal closure. He also showed impaired laryngeal elevation that caused incomplete laryngeal closure and aspiration with a small amount of thin fluid. Laryngoscopic evaluations, brain magnetic resonance imaging, and repetitive nerve stimulation tests were unremarkable. Since the acetylcholine receptor antibody level was elevated, he was diagnosed with MG. Treatment with pyridostigmine was initiated and the dysphagia symptoms improved completely. MG is one possible cause of unexplained dysphagia. Therefore, neurological examination is required when abnormal findings are observed in VFSS, and evaluations for MG may be important for the final diagnosis.
Acetylcholine ; Brain ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Neurologic Examination ; Pyridostigmine Bromide ; Tongue

Williams syndrome is a multiple-system disorder, caused by deletion of the locus 7q11-23 gene and characterized by an ‘elfin’ facial appearance, developmental delay, cardiovascular disorders, and transient hypercalcemia. Vertebral abnormalities in Williams syndrome have not been reported yet, except for one case report on cervical stenosis at the C1 level. In this case, the authors incidentally found Williams syndrome with the fusion of the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae and an associated dysphagia showing delayed, forward-deviating esophageal passage during a videofluoroscopic swallowing study. The authors could not confirm whether the multiple cervical vertebrae fusion was related with the Williams syndrome or was just incidental. However, because physiatrists frequently encounter children with Williams syndrome and numerous kinds of developmental delay, if a patient with Williams syndrome suffers from swallowing difficulty, evaluation of dysphagia and cervical abnormalities should be considered. The present authors report the case of multiple cervical vertebral fusion in Williams syndrome.
Cervical Vertebrae ; Child ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders* ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Williams Syndrome*