Study: Slow Feedings Can Worsen Dysphagia

A new study has found that a slow-but-constant feeding pace can actually worsen dysphagia by increasing the duration of mealtimes and tiring the muscles used for swallowing. 

During the study, participants were fed a meal and instructed to eat it within 30 minutes without resting. This length of time was chosen because it reflects high-intensity eating with continual chewing and swallowing, similar to what happens when residents are fed by a meal assistant. 

The researchers studied oral function before and after the meal and discovered that tongue pressure and the number of voluntary swallows were significantly lower in participants over the age of 70. They also observed that the initiation of swallowing was prolonged by meal consumption and aging and that oral fatigue set in after the meal.

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