Kazuharu Nakagawa, DDS, PhD, Koichiro Matsuo, DDS, PhD, Seiko Shibata, MD, DMSc,
Yoko Inamoto, SLHT, DMSc, Yuriko Ito, DDS, Kazumi Abe, MPHARM,
Naoto Ishibashi, MPHARM, Wataru Fujii, DDS, DMSc, Eiichi Saitoh, MD, DMSc
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 5: 72-78, 2014
Purpose: We examined the validity and safety of a
newly developed chew-swallow managing food
(CSM) as a training material for chewing and
swallowing.
Methods: Twenty-three elderly individuals (mean
age: 82.8 ± 8.6 years) who followed a regular diet at a
residential facility were enrolled in this study. The
subjects ate 4 g each of CSM and puree 3 times while
bolus transport and swallowing were recorded with a
fiberoptic endoscope. For each trial, the number of
chewing and swallowing movements was counted. We
also identified the location of the leading edge of the
food at swallow initiation, the amount of food residue
in the oral cavity and pharynx, and the incidence of
aspiration. The differences in measurements between
CSM and puree trials were then compared statistically.
Results: With the CSM, the number of chewing and
swallowing movements was significantly higher than
that with puree and the leading edge of the food was
deeper in the pharynx at swallow initiation. There
were no significant differences in food residue or
aspiration between the 2 foods.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that CSM has an
initial consistency that requires chewing but changes
to a texture equivalent to puree at the time of
swallowing. We are currently planning to verify the
safety and efficacy of CSM in individuals with
dysphagia.
Key words: process model of feeding, mastication, swallowing, dysphagia, direct therapy