Oropharyngeal dysphagia and dementia

Abstract

Dementia is one of the leading causes of dysfunctionality and disability among older people and has a high physical, psychological, social, and economic impact. Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is a frequent condition in patients with dementia of various types, including early stages, showing a delayed and prolonged swallow, and usually self-feeding difficulties and feeding dependency. In addition, OD is associated with several complications and negative outcomes such as malnutrition, respiratory infections, aspiration pneumonia and increased hospital stay, health-resource consumption, and mortality. OD should therefore be systematically screened, managed, and treated in patients with dementia, taking into account their intrinsic characteristics. The aim of this chapter is to present an overview of the prevalence, pathophysiology, diagnosis, complications, and treatment of OD in patients with dementia.