Oral and Swallowing Function in Older Adults

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

200 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-06-03

Study Completion Date

2026-05-31

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to learn about oral and swallowing function in older adults presenting to the emergency department. The hypothesis is that older adults often have problems with oral and swallowing function and these problems relate to other conditions. Study activities are done during the emergency department visit and include providing saliva samples, completing a bedside water swallow test, completing oral function assessments, completing respiratory function tests, and answering survey questions.

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Detailed Description

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Oropharyngeal dysphagia is characterized by changes in swallow event timing, biomechanics, and pressure generation that occur with advancing age resulting in aspiration of bacteria-laden saliva, food, and liquid into the lungs. Currently, oral and swallowing function is not routinely or comprehensively assessed in older adults despite poor oral health and oropharyngeal dysphagia being known risk factors for pneumonia, the leading infectious cause of mortality among adults 65+. This study seeks to extensively characterize oral and swallowing function in older adults presenting to the emergency department to clarify the relationship of oral hypofunction, dysphagia, and the upper airway microbiome. To achieve this aim, study procedures include a bedside dysphagia screen, oral health assessment, tongue pressure measurement, masticatory function assessment, respiratory function tests, salivary compositional analysis, oral microbiome analysis, and microphysiological system analysis which applies saliva samples to a bronchiolar lumen model to mimic aspiration and quantify cellular and tissue responses to the saliva microbiome and secreted mediators.

Per amendment approved 10/29/2025: Saliva samples for microbiota analysis will not be collected from participants enrolled after 10/22/2025.

Conditions

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Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Interventions

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3-ounce water swallow test

Bedside water swallow dysphagia screen where vocal quality of the participant is assessed before and after swallowing 3 ounces of water