Difference in Drinking Times as a Function of Liquid Consistency in Adults With Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy: A Comparative Study Using Bostwick Consistometer and <scp>IDDSI</scp> Flow Test Methods

The main objective was to document the differences between drinking times and oral perception between liquids in individuals with dysphagia. A second objective was to assess variations in consistency categorization across instruments. A third objective was to explore the relationship between drinking time and dysphagia severity. A sample of individuals with OPMD (n = 30; 40-75 years) was recruited. Participants drank 80 mL of water, followed by three blinded commercially pre-thickened cranberry cocktails (CranA, CranB, CranC). Flow rates were measured with Bostwick consistometer, IDDSI Flow Test, and Discovery HR 20 rheometer. Patient-reported outcome measures were used to assess dysphagia. Mean drinking times for participants with OPMD were as follows: 7.9 ± 4.4 s for water, 10.7 ± 4.8 s for CranA, 12.3 ± 5.7 s for CranB, and 15.2 ± 7.2 s for CranC. All four times were statistically different from each other. Participants reported noticeable differences in oral perception. The Bostwick flow rates were different for all three cocktails. Based on IDDSI Flow Test, CranA was categorized as IDDSI level-2, while both CranB and CranC were categorized as IDDSI level-3. Correlations ranging from 0.39 to 0.55 were found between drinking times and dysphagia severity. In conclusion, liquids within the same IDDSI category can have different Bostwick flow rates and oral perception. The hypothesis that participants with OPMD may find certain liquids more challenging to swallow, despite being in the same IDDSI category, deserves further exploration in future studies.