Study designs of evaluations included in the review
No explicit inclusion criteria were defined in relation to the study designs eligible for inclusion in the review; it appears that any type of study was eligible for inclusion.
Specific interventions included in the review
It appears that studies of diet modification, considered as an indirect therapy or management technique (i.e. modifications controlled by a clinician and external to the patient), were the focus of the review. The studies in the review investigated the effects of bolus variables (such as viscosity) and other indirect diet modifications.
Participants included in the review
It appears that studies with participants that were suffering from dysphagia after stroke were the focus of the review; however, no inclusion criteria were explicitly defined. The review also included participants who had not had a stroke, including neurologically intact participants and patients with other causes of neurological impairments. No further details of the participants were given.
Outcomes assessed in the review
No explicit inclusion criteria were defined in relation to the outcomes included in the review; it appears that any outcomes relating to dysphagia were eligible for inclusion. The included studies reported on a variety of swallowing parameters, such as timing of swallow and the amounts of residue.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The author did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.