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Time-Dependent Rheology of Starch Thickeners and the Clinical Implications for Dysphagia Therapy

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Abstract

The viscosity of nonsolid foods and the stability of their viscosity over time is critical in managing dysphagia. The time-dependent viscosity of liquids thickened with starch-based thickeners was measured at constant temperature and shear rate. Viscosity was measured between 30-min intervals of rest (zero shear) over a period of 17 h at 20.0°C. Two common types of thickeners were evaluated: maize-based and maltodextrin-based (the latter commonly used in pediatrics). The maize-based thickeners undergo a significant decrease in viscosity over the initial 1–4 h following preparation. The maltodextrin-based thickener’s viscosity increases significantly 30 min following preparation and is then more stable over time than its maize-based equivalent. These findings suggest that the success of current dysphagia therapies that use thickeners could be influenced by the time-dependent nature of thickened fluid viscosity. Acknowledgment and appropriate selection of the thickener type is shown to be of great importance.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the help of Morecambe Bay NHS PCT.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom

    Richard J. Dewar MSc & Malcolm J. Joyce PhD

  2. Engineering Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YR, UK

    Malcolm J. Joyce PhD

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  1. Richard J. Dewar MSc
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  2. Malcolm J. Joyce PhD
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Correspondence to Malcolm J. Joyce PhD.

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Dewar, R.J., Joyce, M.J. Time-Dependent Rheology of Starch Thickeners and the Clinical Implications for Dysphagia Therapy. Dysphagia 21, 264–269 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-006-9050-7

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