Swallowing Better With Spice

Patients with Dysphagia, a chronic condition of difficulty swallowing, may be recommended thickened liquids as one of the treatment options. Research has shown an association between sour flavor and shorter pharyngeal delay time leading to better overall swallow function. The proposed study aimed to determine the effect of various flavors on the swallowing function in older adults with Dysphagia. Each of the 20 participants will swallow mildly thick and flavored liquid over the course of 5 weeks. Each week, the participants will try 10 mL of one of the randomly assigned five flavors: sour, salty, sweet, spicy, or unflavored liquid. Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study and a self report will be used to assess swallow functions. It is predicted that the spicy flavor will elicit a better overall swallow as measured by a decreased pharyngeal transit time and/or a higher numerical rating on the self-report, due to the increase in orosensory stimulation.