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Electromyographic response of the labial muscles during normal liquid swallows using a spoon, a straw, and a cup.

In this investigation, surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings were used to make qualitative and quantitative analyses of labial muscle activity during three swallowing tasks, incorporating the use of various drinking implements. EMG was recorded from four quadrants of the perioral region and from the submental muscle complex in 11 normal adult females. Swallowing tasks included liquid extraction from a spoon, a straw, and a cup and posterior bolus propulsion of a 5 ml, thin liquid. Average EMG values obtained during a maximal lip compression task were used to normalize labial muscle responses for each subject thus allowing between-subject comparisons. Variable activity patterns were noted in the perioral muscles once the lips were contacted by a drinking implement. Subjects used a greater percentage of maximal labial muscle activity to remove liquid from an implement than to swallow the liquid. A greater level of EMG was recorded in the lips during straw usage as compared with spoon or cup usage. Significant intrasubject and intersubject variability in labial function occurred during liquid removal using a drinking implement and during the oral swallow in these normal subjects.

Adolescent↗

A study of interrater reliability when using videofluoroscopy as an assessment of swallowing.

Videofluoroscopic assessment of swallowing is widely used in clinical settings. The interpretation of such assessments depends on subjective visual judgments but the reliability of these judgments has been poorly researched. This study measured interrater reliability of judgments, made by speech pathologists, of videofluoroscopic images of subjects swallowing liquid and semisolid boluses. A 5-point rating scale was used in three conditions: individually after careful reading; together with other speech pathologists in group discussion; and individually after the group discussion. Analysis of the ratings for the three conditions revealed that the level of agreement among raters was generally higher for semisolid swallows than for liquid swallows. The highest levels of agreement occurred for ratings made after group discussions. The levels of agreement were lowest when raters worked alone, relying only on reading the scale. Individual rating after group discussion resulted in higher levels of agreement than sole reliance on reading the scale. Factors influencing the levels of interrater agreement, including the timing of observations, bolus consistency, the quality of the image, and the complexity of the task, are discussed.

Deglutition↗

[Sector-related grey scale analysis of video ultrasound recorded tongue movements in swallowing].

Diseases of the oral cavity, floor of the mouth, and nervous system can be accompanied by disturbances in tongue movement during swallowing. These disturbances can be diagnosed by videosonography whereby the examiner has to evaluate extensive video documentation of lingual motion. It was the aim of this study to facilitate this evaluation by the application of a reproducible computer-assisted quantitative analysis procedure. Video sequences of 56 healthy adults and 19 patients with dysphagias of different etiologies were analysed. A numerical estimation of swallowing movements was carried out in abstraction from the structures imaged (bolus, air, muscles of the tongue, floor of the mouth, hyoid, etc.). Intensity changes of the pixels within previously defined radial image sectors were quantified in relationship to time and depicted as sector curves. The healthy adults demonstrated a characteristic pattern of two motion maxima that appeared within almost all sector curves. These maxima represented bolus transport movements and the reset movement of the tongue. Patients with diseases of the tongue or neuromuscular changes caused by disturbances of the central nervous system showed pathological deviations on videosonography. These appeared as local or general reductions in movement, slow speed motions, repetitive swallowing or unsorted additional movements of the tongue during swallowing.

Adolescent↗

Visualization of swallowing using real-time TrueFISP MR fluoroscopy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of different real-time true fast imaging with steady precession (TrueFISP) sequences regarding their ability to depict the swallowing process and delineate oropharyngeal pathologies in patients with dysphagia. Real-time TrueFISP visualization of swallowing was performed in 8 volunteers and 6 patients with dysphagia using a 1.5 T scanner (Magnetom Sonata, Siemens, Erlangen Germany) equipped with high-performance gradients (amplitude 40 mT/m). Image quality of four different real-time TrueFISP sequences (TR 2.2-3.0 ms, TE 1.1-1.5 ms, matrix 63 x 128-135 x 256, field of view 250 mm(2), acquisition time per image 139-405 ms) was evaluated. Water, yoghurt, and semolina pudding were assessed as oral contrast agents. Functional exploration of the oropharyngeal apparatus was best possible using the fastest real-time TrueFISP sequence (TR 2.2 ms, TE 1.1 ms, matrix 63 x 128). Increased acquisition time resulted in blurring of anatomical structures. As the image contrast of TrueFISP sequences depends on T2/T1 properties, all tested foodstuff were well suited as oral contrast agents, but image quality was best using semolina pudding. Real-time visualization of swallowing is possible using real-time TrueFISP sequences in conjunction with oral contrast agents. For the functional exploration of swallowing high temporal resolution is more crucial than spatial resolution.

Adult↗

Swallowing abnormalities in multiple sclerosis: correlation between videofluoroscopy and subjective symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate if subjective symptoms indicating an impaired deglutition correlate with videofluoroscopic findings in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Videofluoroscopic examinations of 18 MS patients were analyzed by a radiologist and a logopedist and compared with the symptoms of these patients. Four patients complained about permanent dysphagia. Six patients reported mild and intermittent difficulties in swallowing, but were asymptomatic at the time of videofluoroscopy. Eight patients had no symptoms regarding their deglutition. All patients ( n=4) who complained of permanent dysphagia showed aspiration. All patients ( n=6) with mild and intermittent difficulties in swallowing showed undercoating of the epiglottis and/or laryngeal penetration. Of those 8 patients without any swallowing symptoms, only 2 had a normal videofluoroscopy. Swallowing abnormalities seem to be much more frequent in patients with MS than generally believed and they may easily be missed clinically as long as the patients do not aspirate.

Adult↗

Passive hinge forces in the feeding apparatus of Aplysia aid retraction during biting but not during swallowing.

Swallowing and biting responses in the marine mollusk Aplysia are both mediated by a cyclical alternation of protraction and retraction movements of the grasping structure, the radula and underlying odontophore, within the feeding apparatus of the animal, the buccal mass. In vivo observations demonstrate that Aplysia biting is associated with strong protractions and rapid initial retractions, whereas Aplysia swallowing is associated with weaker protractions and slower initial retractions. During biting, the musculature joining the radula/odontophore to the buccal mass (termed the "hinge") is stretched more than in swallowing. To test the hypothesis that stretch of the hinge might contribute to rapid retractions observed in biting, we analyzed the hinge's passive properties. During biting, the hinge is stretched sufficiently to assist retraction. In contrast, during swallowing, the hinge is not stretched sufficiently for its passive forces to assist retraction, because the odontophore's anterior movement is smaller than during biting. A quantitative model demonstrated that steady-state passive forces were sufficient to generate the retraction movements observed during biting. Experimental measures of the relative magnitude of the hinge's active and passive forces at the protraction displacements of biting suggest that passive forces are at least a third of the total force.

Animals↗

Perforation of the piriform recessus by a swallowed glass splinter presenting as pneumomediastinum in a child.

The swallowing of sharp glass splinters is rare due to the difficulty of swallowing such objects, and perforation of the piriform recessus and mediastinitis are unusual complications. Perforation of the piriform recessus due to a swallowed sharp glass splinter requires prompt treatment. This report describes a child who was operated on immediately after the diagnosis of perforation of the piriform recessus and was managed successfully. Light-guided pharyngoscopy was very useful for detecting the region of perforation. The literature on such injuries is reviewed here, and the problems associated with treating children with perforation of the piriform recessus and mediastinitis caused by swallowed glass splinters are discussed.

Deglutition↗

Sonographic analysis of laryngeal elevation during swallowing.

BACKGROUND: Swallowing disorders are common symptoms in many neurological diseases. The aim of this pilot-study was to analyse vertical laryngeal excursion during swallowing non-invasively using ultrasound sonographic techniques in patients with dysphagia compared with healthy volunteers. METHODS: Data were obtained from 42 healthy volunteers (mean age: 57 +/- 19 years) and 18 patients (mean age: 63 +/- 8 years) with dysphagia due to different neurological diseases using a 7.5 MHz linear array probe, which was placed in longitudinal position above the larynx. This allowed visualization of the contour and the acoustic shadow of the hyoid bone and the thyroid cartilage. The distance between the hyoid bone and the upper end of the thyroid cartilage during laryngeal elevation was readily assessed by video-mode function. RESULTS: In healthy subjects we found a mean distance of 220 (+/- 30) mm at rest; the shortest distance during swallowing of 5 or 10 ml water was 85 (+/- 11) mm and represents a reduction of 61 % (+/- 3) under physiological conditions. The mean relative laryngeal elevation in the patients with neurogenic dysphagia was reduced to only 42 % (+/- 10) (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound is a viable and non-invasive method in the investigation of laryngeal elevation during swallowing. It allows direct visualization of impaired laryngeal motion in patients with neurogenic dysphagia.

Aged↗

Initial clinical and demographic predictors of swallowing impairment following acute stroke.

Swallowing impairment (dysphagia) is a frequent sequela of acute stroke; however, the ability to accurately detect dysphagia at the bedside and predict which patients may be at risk of dysphagic complications, such as aspiration, remains limited. Despite this, clinical assessment batteries continue to be the first point of assessment for acute dysphagia. We examined the predictive value of clinical factors suggestive of swallowing dysfunction in an attempt to identify the important independent clinical signs at initial presentation that are associated with dysphagia, aspiration, and the combined variable aspiration and/or penetration (ASPEN) in acute stroke patients. For the purposes of this study, dysphagia was defined as a disorder of bolus flow. Aspiration was defined as entry of swallowed material below the level of the true vocal cords which was not expectorated. The clinical items identified as independent predictors of dysphagia (measured radiographically) at initial presentation were age > 70 years, male gender, disabling stroke (Barthel score < 60), palatal weakness or asymmetry, incomplete oral clearance, and impaired pharyngeal response (cough/gurgle). The clinical predictors of aspiration (determined radiographically) at initial presentation were delayed oral transit and incomplete oral clearance. Incorporating clinical signs, such as those identified by this study, into clinical assessments of swallowing impairment may increase their predictive utility.

Acute Disease↗

A retrospective analysis of the pharyngeal swallow in patients with a clinical diagnosis of GERD compared with normal controls: a pilot study.

In gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), there is a reverse flow of gastric contents up through the esophagus and potentially into the pharynx. Some patients who have GERD have reported difficulty in oropharyngeal swallowing. This study was designed to determine whether differences in the pharyngeal swallow exist in a sample of subjects diagnosed with GERD as compared with normal controls and to identify those events that may be different from normal. Functional measurements and timing data were taken from videofluorographic studies of 9 patients with GERD and 9 age and gender-matched controls. Several subjects with GERD spontaneously utilized compensatory maneuvers despite clinically normal swallows. Results show significant differences in some swallow temporal measures between the two groups. Implications of the effects of reflux are discussed.

Adult↗

Jaw opening and swallow triggering method for bilateral-brain-damaged patients: K-point stimulation.

The aim of this study was to confirm the response in patients stimulated at the trigger point (K-point). Since we have already clinically encountered patients with hyperactive bite reflexes who were able to open their mouth and swallow after stimulation of the trigger point, we investigated this response in other brain-damaged patients. The trigger point lies on the mucosa lateral to the palatoglossal arch and medial to the pterygomandibular fold at the height of the postretromolar pad. A total of 57 brain-damaged patients, including patients with pseudobulbar palsy due to bilateral upper motor neuron disease and bulbar palsy due to medulla oblongate. Other supratentorial brain-damaged patients and 20 non-brain-damaged subjects were also examined. The subjects were gently stimulated at the trigger point by a finger or a tongue depressor. We found that the pseudobulbar palsy patients with a hyperactive bite reflex responded by mouth opening and swallowing after a jaw movement similar to mastication elicited by the stimulation. The other pseudobulbar palsy patients, who did not have hyperactive bite reflexes and could open their mouth spontaneously, responded by swallowing with jaw movements similar to mastication after the stimulation. The bulbar palsy patients and the supratentorial brain-damaged patients showed no response to the stimulation. The non-brain-damaged subjects also did not respond, but all of the subjects reported a strange sensation after the stimulation. We concluded that stimulating the trigger point was useful for opening the mouth and facilitating swallowing in pseudobulbar palsy patients and that this technique may be of help in these patients in terms of oral health care and feeding.

Adolescent↗

Effect of citric acid and citric acid-sucrose mixtures on swallowing in neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia.

The ability of sour and sweet-sour mixtures to improve swallowing in 11 nursing home residents with neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia was investigated using fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing. Citric acid (2.7%) significantly reduced aspiration and penetration compared with water. Teaspoon delivery of liquids significantly reduced aspiration and penetration compared with natural cup drinking. Subjects tended to appropriately self-regulate the cup volume they consumed after the first trial. A significant increase in spontaneous dry swallows was observed after both taste stimuli. The mechanisms for improved swallowing due to citric acid are not understood but may be due to increased gustatory and trigeminal stimulation of acid to the brainstem in neurologically impaired subjects.

Aged↗

Effects of cuff deflation and one-way tracheostomy speaking valve placement on swallow physiology.

This study examined the effects of tracheostomy cuff deflation and one-way speaking valve placement on swallow physiology. Fourteen nonventilator-dependent patients completed videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) under three conditions: (1) cuff inflated, (2) cuff deflated, and (3) one-way valve in place. Four additional patients with cuffless tracheostomy tubes completed VFSS with and without the one-way valve in place. All swallows were analyzed for the severity of penetration/aspiration using an 8-point penetration-aspiration scale. Seven preselected swallow duration measures, extent of hyolaryngeal elevation and anterior excursion, and oropharyngeal residue were also determined. Scores on the penetration-aspiration scale were not significantly affected by cuff status, i.e., inflation or deflation. However, one-way valve placement significantly reduced scores on the penetration-aspiration scale for the liquid bolus. Patients who are unable to tolerate thin liquids may be able to safely take thin liquids when the valve is in place. However, one-way valve placement may not be beneficial for all patients. Clinicians who complete VFSS with tracheostomized patients should include several bolus presentations with a one-way speaking valve in place before making any decisions regarding the use of the valve as a means to reduce aspiration.

Adult↗

Oropharyngeal scintigraphy: a reliable technique for the quantitative evaluation of oral-pharyngeal swallowing.

A valid and reliable technique to quantify the efficiency of the oral-pharyngeal phase of swallowing is needed to measure objectively the severity of dysphagia and longitudinal changes in swallowing in response to intervention. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a scintigraphic technique to quantify the efficiency of bolus clearance during the oral-pharyngeal swallow and assess its diagnostic accuracy. To accomplish this, postswallow oral and pharyngeal counts of residual for technetium-labeled 5- and 10-ml water boluses and regional transit times were measured in 3 separate healthy control groups and in a group of patients with proven oral-pharyngeal dysphagia. Repeat measures were obtained in one group of aged (> 55yr) controls to establish test-retest reliability. Scintigraphic transit measures were validated by comparison with radiographic temporal measures. Scintigraphic measures in those with proven dysphagia were compared with radiographic classification of oral vs. pharyngeal dysfunction to establish their diagnostic accuracy. We found that oral ( p = 0.04), but not pharyngeal, isotope clearance is swallowed bolus-dependently. Scintigraphic transit times do not differ from times derived radiographically. All scintigraphic measures have extremely good test-retest reliability. The mean difference between test and retest for oral residual was -1% (95% CI -3%-1%) and for pharyngeal residual it was -2% (95% CI -5%-1%). Scintigraphic transit times have very poor diagnostic accuracy for regional dysfunction. Abnormal oral and pharyngeal residuals have positive predictive values of 100% and 92%, respectively, for regional dysfunction. We conclude that oral-pharyngeal scintigraphic clearance is highly reliable, bolus volume-dependent, and has a high predictive value for regional dysfunction. It may prove useful in assessment of dysphagia severity and longitudinal change.

Adolescent↗

Swallowing lateralization: the effects of modified dual-task interference.

A modified dual-task paradigm was designed to learn whether swallowing functions are selectively mediated by the left or right hemisphere. Healthy right-handed men (N = 38) were studied using videofluoroscopy to examine continuous straw drinking at baseline and with three interference conditions (silent word repetition, line orientation, finger tapping). Results indicate that activation of both right and left hemispheres can interfere with some swallowing behaviors. Findings suggest possibly different roles of the two hemispheres in the mediation of swallowing and support the notion that specific components of swallowing may be preferentially mediated by the left versus the right hemisphere.

Analysis of Variance↗

Sound component duration of healthy human pharyngoesophageal swallowing: a gender comparison study.

Cervical auscultation is a noninvasive technique for studying swallowing that was first used in the 1960s. The aim of our study was to use the numeric acoustic recording technique for analyzing swallowing sound signals in healthy subjects while they ingested a defined volume and consistency of a specific substance. Twenty males and ten females were included in the study and given 10 ml of a barium suspension to swallow. A microphone was placed on the skin overlying the lateral border of the trachea, directly under the inferior border of the cricoid, and connected to a computer. For each sound recording, the total duration of the sound (td), the number (n) of sound components (SC), the duration of each SC (c1, c2, c3,...), and the intervals (i1, i2,...) between the SCs were measured. For all the recordings, the mean durations of acoustic parameters (TDm, C1m, C2m, C3m, I1m, I2m) were calculated and compared by using Student's t test. In the 20 male subjects, the mean acoustic parameters were calculated (MTDm, MC1m, MC2m, MC3m, MI1m, MI2m) and compared with the mean acoustic parameters (FTDm, FC1m, FC2m, FC3m, FI1m, FI2m) in the ten females by using a Wilcoxon nonparametric statistical test. We were able to interpret 80% of the recordings. The TDm was 710 +/- 28 ms. Three main SCs were detected: C1m = 100 +/- 56, C2m = 150 +/- 90, C3m = 80 +/- 54 ms; I1m = 100 +/- 66, I2m = 190 +/- 120 ms. No significant difference in these parameters was observed with respect to gender. This study enabled us to decompose the swallowing sounds into three main SCs and to quantify their normal durations. These results should prove useful for the assessment of sound variations in pathologic conditions.

Acoustics↗

The impact of rheologically controlled materials on the identification of airway compromise on the clinical and videofluoroscopic swallowing examinations.

Numerous studies have suggested that the clinical evaluation of swallowing fails to adequately identify those patients who aspirate or do not aspirate on a videofluoroscopic swallowing examination. These conclusions, however, are based on comparisons between swallowed materials that were not rheologically matched. The present study used a battery of rheologically matched test materials, involving thin and thick liquids and cohesive and adhesive semisolids. Using these test items, results from a clinical swallow evaluation were compared to the results of a videofluorographic evaluation using identical test materials. Results suggest that the use of three test materials, including thin and thick liquids given in volumes of 5 and 10 ml, demonstrated the strongest associations between cough on the clinical examination and aspiration on the videofluoroscopic examination.

Airway Obstruction↗

Dysphagia management: an analysis of patient outcomes using VitalStim therapy compared to traditional swallow therapy.

This study compares the outcomes using VitalStim therapy to outcomes using traditional swallowing therapy for deglutition disorders. Twenty-two patients had an initial and a followup videofluoroscopic swallowing study or fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and were divided into an experimental group that received VitalStim treatments and a control group that received traditional swallowing therapy. Outcomes were analyzed for changes in oral and pharyngeal phase dysphagia severity, dietary consistency restrictions, and progression from nonoral to oral intake. Results of chi(2) analysis showed no statistically significant difference in outcomes between the experimental and control groups.

Adolescent↗