Dysphagia and Oral Health in Older Adults with Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome

Abstract

Slow gait speed and subjective cognitive decline in older adults are characteristics of motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCRS). Dysphagia and oral health may be connected to MCRS because they are linked to both motor function and cognitive performance. This study aimed to investigate dysphagia and oral health among older adults with MCRS. Community-dwelling adults over 65 years of age who visited the geriatric outpatient clinic for regular check-ups were included (N = 152). Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected, and the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) and Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) were implemented. Participants were divided into two groups as MCRS (N = 36) and non-MCRS (N = 116). Poorer GOHAI and EAT-10 scores were observed in the MCRS group (all p < 0.05 for all). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, higher EAT-10 scores were found to be independently associated with MCRS (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04-1.23, p = 0.005), but not GOHAI scores. Our findings indicated an association between dysphagia and MCRS in older adults. This is the first study in the literature to examine the association between dysphagia and oral health among older adults with MCRS. MCRS is a very recent topic in the literature and the parameters associated with MCRS are not clear. This study will contribute to the literature filling an important gap because a better understanding of the mechanisms linking these two comorbidities is vital for the development of targeted interventions aimed at reducing swallowing difficulties in patients with MCRS.

Keywords: Dysphagia; Motoric cognitive risk syndrome; Oral health; Subjective cognitive complaints.