Jaw-opening force test to screen for Dysphagia: preliminary results

Area of Science:

• Otorhinolaryngology
• Swallowing Disorders
• Diagnostic Tools

Background:

• Dysphagia is a common condition in older adults, increasing the risk of aspiration and malnutrition.
• Accurate screening tools are crucial for early detection and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the jaw-opening force test (JOFT) as a screening tool for dysphagia.
• To determine the JOFT's ability to predict aspiration (ASP) and pharyngeal residue.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 95 patients with dysphagia symptoms underwent the JOFT and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).
• FEES served as the criterion standard to assess aspiration and pharyngeal residue.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine optimal cutoff values for JOFT in relation to FEES findings.

Main Results:

• Optimal JOFT cutoff values were identified for predicting pharyngeal residue (≤5.3kg for men, ≤3.9kg for women) with high sensitivity and specificity.
• For predicting aspiration (ASP), cutoff values (≤3.2kg for men, ≤4kg for women) showed varied sensitivity and specificity between sexes.
• The JOFT demonstrated better performance in predicting pharyngeal residue compared to aspiration.

Conclusions:

• The jaw-opening force test (JOFT) is a potentially valuable tool for screening pharyngeal residue in patients with dysphagia.
• Due to its limited sensitivity in detecting aspiration, the JOFT should be complemented by other screening methods for comprehensive dysphagia assessment.