Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Adapting Human Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Methods to Detect and Characterize Dysphagia in Murine Disease Models
Published on: March 1, 2015
Physiological Mechanisms and Associated Pathophysiology of Dysphagia in Older Adults
Constantino Estupiñán Artiles1, Julie Regan1, Claire Donnellan1
1Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
Abstract:
Dysphagia can be a common secondary sequela of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders in older adults. Early screening, identification, and management of dysphagia is essential to avoid serious complications, including malnutrition, dehydration, aspiration pneumonia; and promote quality of life. Although individuals of all ages may experience swallowing difficulties, dysphagia and its complications are more common in older adults. This literature review aims to provide an overview of the physiological mechanisms of normal swallowing in healthy individuals and age-related changes to swallowing function, the pathophysiology of dysphagia associated with three common neurological disorders affecting older adults (stroke, Parkinson's disease, and dementia), and implications for interdisciplinary clinical practice. Increased awareness of these issues may contribute to a more timely and efficient identification of older adults with dysphagia and to improve overall dysphagia management.
Related Concept Videos
Physiology of the Gastrointestinal System I: Ingestion and Propulsion
The Effect of Aging on Tissues
Deglutition
Swallowing can be divided into three stages: the voluntary phase, the pharyngeal phase, and the esophageal phase. Although the...
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Pathophysiology of Heart Failure
Taste Buds and Receptors

