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BackgroundIn the recent hyper-aged societies of developed countries, the market for soft diets for patients with dysphagia has been growing and numerous jelly-type foods have become available. However, interrelationships between the biomechanics of oral strategies and jelly texture remain unclear. The present study investigated the influence of the initial consistency of jelly on tongue motor kinetics in different oral strategies by measuring tongue pressure against the hard palate.MethodsJellies created as a mixture of deacylated gellan gum and psyllium seed gum with different initial consistencies (hard, medium or soft) were prepared as test foods. Tongue pressure production while ingesting 5 ml of jelly using different oral strategies (Squeezing or Mastication) was recorded in eight healthy volunteers using an ultra-thin sensor sheet system. Maximal magnitude, duration and total integrated values (tongue work) of tongue pressure for size reduction and swallowing in each strategy were compared among initial consistencies of jelly, and between Squeezing and Mastication.ResultsIn Squeezing, the tongue performed more work for size reduction with increasing initial consistency of jelly by modulating both the magnitude and duration of tongue pressure over a wide area of hard palate, but tongue work for swallowing increased at the posterior-median and circumferential parts by modulating only the magnitude of tongue pressure. Conversely, in Mastication, the tongue performed more work for size reduction with increasing initial consistency of jelly by modulating both magnitude and duration of tongue pressure mainly at the posterior part of the hard palate, but tongue work as well as other tongue pressure parameters for swallowing showed no differences by type of jelly.ConclusionsThese results reveal fine modulations in tongue-palate contact according to the initial consistency of jelly and oral strategies.

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Thirty-six normal subjects received a drop in either eye of two of four ophthalmic solutions, balanced saline (S), carteolol, 1% (C1), carteolol, 2% (C2), or timolol, 0.5% (T), in a double-blind, randomized trial in a balanced incomplete block design. Subjects reported immediately, at three, and again at ten minutes after administration whether one eye felt more irritated and marked an analog scale of irritation. An observer also made ratings at three minutes based on responses to stereotyped questions. Significant differences in irritation between timolol and each of the other drugs and placebo were shown by analog scale scores immediately after instillation of the solutions. Maximum likelihood estimates were calculated based on statements of subject preference, and a significant preference was demonstrated. Observer ratings also demonstrated a treatment effect. This simple clinical assay system provides a new, valid method for estimating irritation induced by ophthalmic solutions.

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