ABSTRACT
Purpose
To determine the effectiveness of oral sensitivity therapy, on institutionalized elderly patients with severe dementia.
Methods
A series of eight cases residing in a long-term institution. With the consent of their families, we included elderly residents diagnosed with severe dementia and severe dysphagia. We excluded elderly patients who were already undergoing swallow therapy and those who used only alternative means of feeding. The experimental and the control groups were randomly allocated by drawing lots. A blind assessor carried out pre- and post-therapy tests, using: Northwestern Dysphagia Patient Check Sheet (NDPCS) protocol, Clinical Dementia Rating scale (CDR) and Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS). During tests with food, the assessor evaluated swallowing speed and the number of swallows per serving (puréed texture and liquid). The participants in the experimental group underwent five consecutive sessions of tactile-thermal stimulation for 30 minutes each time.
Results
There were eight participants, six women and two men, between the ages of 68 and 98. No significant difference was found in the items 23 to 28 of the NDPCS instrument for both liquid and puréed consistencies as well as no difference was observed in the number of swallows or the speed of swallowing. Additionally, there was no change in FOIS scale, and neither anysignificant difference between the experimental and the control group.
Conclusion
Thermal-tactile stimulation did not change the swallowing patterns of institutionalized elderly patients with severe dementia.
Keywords:
Swallowing; Swallowing disorders; Aging; Dementia; Geriatrics