Utilizing Jaw Movement Analysis for Early Detection of Swallowing Difficulties in the Elderly

Swallowing Difficulty is a common health problem among older adults that could lead to malnutrition, frailty, and even life-threatening complications. While there had been gold standard tools such as videofluoroscopy and swallowing endoscopy for diagnosing Swallowing Difficulty, their use was limited due to potential radiation exposure and invasiveness, often disregarding the importance of early detection and treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the use of non-invasive and non-contact analysis of jaw movements in relation to Swallowing Difficulty, and to understand their correlation and differences as a reference for a screening tool. This cross-sectional study recruited 100 healthy older adults aged 65-95 years using convenience sampling. Participants underwent both the Repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) and jaw movement analysis. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 with a significance level of $p < 0.05$. Of the 100 participants, $51{{\% }}$ presented with Swallowing Difficulty with a mean age of 79.29 years. Significant differences in jaw movement were observed in those with Swallowing Difficulty, especially in jaw opening velocity ($\mathbf{p} < 0.05$). Gender and age also differed between the Swallowing Difficulty and non-Swallowing Difficulty populations. This study found a significant correlation between jaw movement and Swallowing Difficulty assessed with RSST in older adults. The results suggested that jaw movement analysis could be an effective contactless screening tool for early detection of Swallowing Difficulty and future reduction of malnutrition and related complications in the elderly.