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Swallowing in Alzheimer's disease
J Horner1, M J Alberts, D V Dawson
1Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Alzheimer's disease patients frequently experience swallowing problems, with over 28% aspirating food or liquid. These issues correlate with dementia severity and dependency, indicating a higher prevalence than in healthy older adults.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
- Swallowing dysfunction (dysphagia) is a common but understudied complication in AD.
- Early identification of dysphagia is crucial for patient management and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence and patterns of oropharyngeal swallowing abnormalities in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
- To identify factors associated with swallowing dysfunction in this population.
Main Methods:
- Prospective case series design.
- Videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) conducted on 25 patients with moderate or severe AD.
- Statistical analysis to explore correlations between swallowing abnormalities and clinical variables.
Main Results:
- Oropharyngeal swallowing abnormalities were prevalent, with 28.6% of patients aspirating.
- Only 4 out of 25 patients (16%) exhibited normal swallowing function.
- Swallowing difficulties significantly correlated with dementia duration, eating dependency, and abnormal oral praxis.
- A trend suggested increased aspiration risk with greater dementia severity.
Conclusions:
- Oropharyngeal swallowing abnormalities, including aspiration, are common in Alzheimer's disease patients.
- Dysphagia in AD is linked to disease progression and functional dependency.
- Findings highlight the need for routine swallowing assessments in AD care.