Speech and language pathologists are able to study how a person swallows. This is particularly important in the case of those recovering from a stroke.The modified barium swallow test sees a small amount of radioactive barium put in the food or liquid of the person being assessed. Next, a video X-ray is taken of the side of the face and neck.The barium is X-ray-sensitive, giving the therapists a clear picture of what is happening mechanically in the mouth and throat as the patient chews and swallows.“There are three areas we look at within the oral moda [mouth],” said Elwood Fox, chief of rehabilitation at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.Speech pathologists look first at how the patient is able to chew the food, move it to the back of the mouth and manipulate it inside the mouth and down to the esophagus.Therapists look at how well the food has been chewed as well as how much food was pushed down the esophagus and how much may have gone down the windpipe.Having this information enables the therapists to decide what type of diet is best for the specific stroke patient. Patients who cannot chew their food well may be placed on a diet of soft and mashed items or possibly liquids.Dr. Fox said: “When determining menus for their stroke patients, therapists ensure the nutritional needs of each patient is met.”