Oropharyngeal swallowing and aging: a review

This article provides an overview of normal oropharyngeal swallowing in relation to advanced age, with specific attention to oropharyngeal movement patterns and temporospatial swallowing durations. Swallowing disorders associated with aging are addressed with specific attention to the need for application of normative data to the diagnostic process. Attention is drawn to the need for continued research on swallowing function in the normal adult if efforts to maximize functional independence in eating and swallowing in the institutionalized adult are to be realized.