Swallowing analysis for semisolid food texture in poststroke dysphagic patients

Our objective was to determine the texture of semisolid foods that are appropriate for poststroke dysphagic patients.

Subjects included 52 poststroke dysphagic patients (72 ± 8 years of age) who were trained with semisolid foods and required the evaluation of swallowing function. Fifty-two homogeneous semisolid foods not requiring mastication were given. Texture were measured twice using a rheometer (TPU-2S; Yamaden Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). Texture characteristics were as follows: hardness, 1873 to 19,510 N/m(2) (mean 9,129 N/m(2)); cohesiveness, 0.13 to 0.67 (mean 0.32); adhesiveness, 2 to 878 J/m(3) (mean 209 J/m(3)); and gumminess, 546 to 8781 N/m(2) (mean 2908 N/m(2)). Patients sat during fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation and ingested a single semisolid food. The patients were asked to swallow 4 g of food, and the texture, pharyngeal residue, penetration into the larynx, and aspiration were evaluated. We observed and noted the association between the texture of foods and swallowing movements by videoendoscopy.

Evaluating food texture by endoscopy revealed significant differences in adhesiveness according to residue deposition and significant differences in gumminess according to aspiration.

We identified the textures of different semisolid foods as being either appropriate or inappropriate for poststroke dysphagic patients.