Burak Mana?, Serkan Bengisu
The Turkish Journal of Ear Nose and Throat - 2025;35(3):111-121
Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder frequently accompanied by dysphagia, leading to malnutrition, dehydration, and aspiration pneumonia. While AD's general impact on the quality of life is well-documented, the specific influence of swallowing disorders on the quality of life remains under explored. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between swallowing function and swallowing-related quality of life across different stages of AD. Material and Methods: A total of 45 individuals aged 65 years diagnosed with AD were enrolled and classified into three groups - mild, moderate, and severe - based on Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores, with 15 patients in each group. Swallowing function was assessed using the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), the Timed Water Swallowing Test (TWST), and the Repeated Saliva Swallowing Test (RSST). Nutritional status was evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment - Short Form (MNA-SF), and swallowing-related quality of life was measured using the Swallowing Quality of Life Questionnaire (SWAL-QOL). Results: Higher CDR scores were positively correlated with EAT-10 scores, indicating greater perceived swallowing difficulties, and negatively correlated with SWAL-QOL, TWST, RSST, and MNA-SF scores (p<0.001). As AD severity increased, patients demonstrated reduced swallowing performance, poorer nutritional status, and lower quality of life. Statistically significant differences were observed in all measured outcomes across disease stages (p = 0.000), with the severe group showing the most deterioration. Conclusion: This study highlights a strong link between AD progression and impairments in swallowing function, nutrition, and related quality of life, emphasising the need for early dysphagia screening and timely nutritional interventions in clinical care.
