Dysphagia in behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia- a systematic review.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review examined how dysphagia is identified and described in people with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). Of 22 included studies, nine reported symptom presence or absence, 12 described symptoms, and one assessed swallowing physiology. Choking, coughing and chewing difficulties were the most frequently reported dysphagia signs; hyperphagia and oral packing appeared in 13 studies. Assessment commonly relied on caregiver questionnaires or brief screening tools, and only one study used imaging. The review found that evidence was limited by small samples and inconsistent, often observational assessment methods.

Key findings

• Twenty-two studies met inclusion criteria: nine addressed symptom presence or absence, 12 described symptoms, and one examined swallowing physiology.
• Choking, coughing and chewing difficulties were the most frequently reported dysphagia signs and symptoms.
• Hyperphagia and oral packing were reported in 13 studies.
• Only one study used imaging and reported a mismatch between caregiver reports and imaging results.

Why it matters

Dysphagia in bvFTD may present alongside a broad range of motor, cognitive-emotional and perceptual changes, but the evidence base does not establish a consistent way to identify it. Reliance on caregiver reports and brief, nonstandardized measures may leave swallowing problems incompletely characterized. More consistent assessment would support clearer understanding of dysphagia in this population.

What to keep in mind

The review reports that included studies were limited by sampling and small sample sizes, with reliance on caregiver reports and little imaging evidence.