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Updated: Aug 19, 2025

Adapting Human Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Methods to Detect and Characterize Dysphagia in Murine Disease Models
Published on: March 1, 2015
Effects of Presbyphagia on Oropharyngeal Swallowing Observed during Modified Barium Swallow Studies
K L Garand1, J Beall, E G Hill
1Kendrea Garand, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA, garand@southalabama.edu.
Objectives:
Understanding how aging impacts swallowing can help differentiate typical from atypical behaviors. This study aimed to quantify age-related swallowing alterations observed during a modified barium swallow study.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Adult fluoroscopy suite in a metropolitan hospital at an academic center.
Participants:
195 healthy adults distributed across 3 age categories: 21-39; 40-59; 60+ years.
Measurements:
17 physiologic components of swallowing across three functional domains (oral, pharyngeal, esophageal), including summed composite scores (Oral Total [OT] and Pharyngeal Total [PT]), from the validated and standardized Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile.
Results:
Most components (65%) demonstrated no impairment (scores of "0"). The odds of a worse (higher) score increased significantly with age for: Tongue Control during Bolus Hold, Hyolaryngeal Movement, Laryngeal Closure, Pharyngeal Contraction, and Pharyngoesophageal Segment Opening. OT and PT scores for 40-59-year-olds were worse than the youngest group (p=.01 and p <.001, respectively). Adults 60+ years had significantly worse PT scores among all groups (p-values <.01).
Conclusion:
Oropharyngeal swallowing physiology evolves as healthy adults age and should be considered during clinical decision-making.
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