Eating changes in mild-stage Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Gerontology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Eating impairment is a known late-stage symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
• The onset of eating difficulties during the early stages of AD remains unclear.
• Eating encompasses both self-feeding and swallowing functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate early changes in self-feeding and swallowing in individuals with mild Alzheimer's disease.
• To compare eating behaviors and swallowing durations between mild AD patients and healthy elderly controls.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study comparing self-feeding and swallowing in healthy elderly individuals and those with mild AD.
• Quantified the need for cues and assistance during self-feeding.
• Measured oral transit and pharyngeal response durations during swallowing of solid and liquid consistencies.

Main Results:

• Mild AD subjects required significantly more partner-initiated cues and direct assistance for self-feeding compared to controls.
• Subject-initiated cued behaviors were more frequent in the mild AD group.
• AD subjects exhibited significantly prolonged oral transit and total swallow durations for both cookie and liquid trials.

Conclusions:

• Self-feeding and swallowing changes may manifest early in the course of Alzheimer's disease.
• These findings suggest that interventions addressing eating difficulties could be beneficial in the early stages of AD.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these early-stage eating changes in AD.