Chewing and Oral Processing of Solid Food

Chewing and Oral Processing of Solid Food in Healthy Swallowing

Food texture modification is commonly used as an intervention for people with dysphagia (swallowing impairment). However, the field currently lacks a proper understanding of how this intervention works. The overall goal of this project was to collect measurements of food bolus transit through the oropharynx (i.e., mouth and throat) during chewing, oral processing and swallowing.

Aim: To explore chewing and oral processing behaviors across solid foods of different consistencies (minced and moist, soft & bite-sized, regular).

Healthy adult participants will be asked to swallow foods representative of the "minced and moist", "soft and bite-sized" and "regular" consistency levels of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative.

We will measure the number of chews taken per bolus and the overall duration of chewing to understand differences across consistencies.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy adults under age 60

Exclusion Criteria:

• prior history of swallowing, motor speech, gastro-esophageal or neurological difficulties, chronic sinusitis or taste disturbance.
• history of surgery to the speech or swallowing apparatus (other than routine tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy)
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Current use of dentures
• cognitive communication difficulties that may hinder comprehension of the study documents or instructions
• known allergies to medical adhesive
• known allergies to ingredients of the food products used in the experiment .