Biological Perspectives

When flipping past the numerous antipsychotic drug ads in psychiatric journals, it is easy to miss the Food and Drug Administration required warnings of drug-induced dysphagia. These cautions typically begin as follows: “Esophageal dysmotility and aspiration have been associated with antipsychotic drug use. . . .” This article provides an overview of the physiological process of swallowing, dysphagia as a general concept, then narrows its focus to antipsychotic-related dysphagia.