Safety and Efficacy of Specially Designed Texture-Modified Foods for Patients with Dysphagia Due to Brain Disorders: A Prospective Study

Abstract

Providing texture-modified food for patients with dysphagia is a cornerstone of dysphagia treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a specially designed texture-modified food that can be easily swallowed while maintaining the unique taste by adjusting hardness and adhesiveness in patients with brain disorders using a videofluoroscopic swallowing study. We included 101 patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia due to brain disorders who were referred to the rehabilitation department. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a specially designed texture-modified food, rice gruel was compared with a regular instant rice porridge, and bulgogi mousse was compared with ground bulgogi, which normally serves as a texture-modified diet for patients with dysphagia in our hospital during the videofluoroscopic swallowing study. The Penetration–Aspiration Scale score, oropharyngeal transit time, number of swallows required to maximally eliminate food materials from the oropharyngeal space, and vallecular and pyriform sinus residue after swallowing scale score were compared. Rice gruel required a shorter oropharyngeal transit time and fewer number of swallowing per the given amount of food than regular instant rice porridge; however, no statistical difference was found in the vallecular and pyriform sinus residue after swallowing scale scores and the Penetration–Aspiration Scale scores. Bulgogi mousse required more swallowing and had lower Penetration–Aspiration Scale scores than ground bulgogi; however, no significant difference was found in the oropharyngeal transit time and the vallecular and pyriform sinus residue after swallowing scale scores. The study foods were safe and efficacious compared to control foods usually provided for patients with dysphagia from various brain disorders.