Performance of swallowing function between older people with and without clinical complaints

Purpose  To compare the findings of speech-language-hearing evaluations, signs in fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, and nutritional risk between healthy older adults with and without self-reported swallowing difficulties and correlate the level of oral intake with the severity of pharyngeal residues and nutritional risk.

Methods  This cross-sectional retrospective study included 71 older people and divided them into two groups based on the presence of swallowing complaints. Data were collected from speech-language-hearing evaluations, oral health status, and videoendoscopy signs with four food consistencies classified by the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) to compare the groups. Pharyngeal residues were analyzed and classified using the Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale (YPRSRS), the level of oral intake was assessed using the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), and nutritional risk was evaluated using the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST).

Results  Differences were found in speech-language-hearing evaluations, as well as signs of posterior oral spillage and pharyngeal residues with levels 0, 2, and 4 consistencies and laryngeal penetration with level 0 consistency. The level of oral intake was moderately negatively correlated with the severity of pharyngeal residues and nutritional risk.

Conclusion  The group of older adults with complaints had differences in speech-language-hearing evaluations, posterior oral spillage, and pharyngeal residues with levels 0, 2, and 4 consistencies, and laryngeal penetration with level 0 consistency. The correlation indicated that the lower the level of oral intake, the greater the severity of pharyngeal residues and nutritional risk in the sample.

Keywords:
Aged; Deglutition Disorders; Deglutition; Pharynx; Elderly Nutrition