This study aimed to analyze the relationship of measurable characteristics of the tongue in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the accumulation of residue after swallowing in an area located just after the tongue.
This accumulation of residue provides a sensation of bolus stuck in the throat and increases the risk of weight loss, choking and pulmonary complications.
Twenty-one ALS patients were assessed for tongue pressure, tongue endurance, tongue thickness and residue after swallowing of the 10 ml of moderately thickened consistency. This study concluded that all tongue measurements were low in ALS patients with and without residue.
Therefore, these tongue measurements are not good predictors of vallecular residue in the tested volume and food consistency.