Durational aspects of the oral-pharyngeal phase of swallow in normal adults

Abstract

Abstract. We present durational data on normal oral-pharyngeal swallows in adults obtained using ultrasound imaging, The effects of normal aging on the oral-pharyngeal phase of swallowing were studied in 47 healthy adults. Timing of the oralpharyngeal phase of swallow was determined from frame-by-flame analysis of ultrasound videos of the motion of the tongue and hyoid bone from initial rest to final resting position. Duration of unstimulated (dry) swallows was compared to stimulated (wet) swallows across four age groups and by sex and age. For most subjects, dry swallows were longer than wet swallows; moreover, swallow duration was longest for older women than any other group. As age increased (55+), oral swallows were accompanied by extralingual gestures. Ability to produce a timed series of continuously dry swallows was somewhat influenced by age. Findings are suggestive of an age change more typical in women, with a pattern of multiple lingual gestures commonly seen after age 55 in both sexes. We suggest that subtle, subclinical, oral neuromotor changes occur with normal aging to cause these findings.

Temporal coordination of pharyngeal and laryngeal dynamics with breathing during swallowing: single liquid swallows

“…Some laboratories, using indirect measures of swallowing physiology and respiratory traces, have observed longer apneic durations when comparing young and middle-age subjects with elderly volunteers and gender differences with aging (5, 31). Hiss et al (5) suggested that the longer apnea durations in elderly adults may be related to the reports of slowed swallowing mechanics occurring as a natural component of healthy aging (18,27,29,30,36). Our ongoing project should be able to confirm this hypothesis as we study simultaneous swallowing mechanics by using VFS with simultaneous respiratory tracings.…”

“…Given the potential differences in swallowing physiology and respiratory pattern that have been reported in some studies between gender and age (5,18,24,27,(29)(30)(31)(32)36), the second aim of this study was to determine whether these variables had an effect on the phases of breathing associated with swallowing. Furthermore, because previous studies have not investigated the effect of race on swallowing or swallowing and breathing coordination, race was also included as a potential influence.…”

Ultrasonographic measurement of tongue movement during swallowing.

“…4 Their result demonstrated that duration was between 1.13 and 2.02 s for a swallow of water, but this value was adjusted to 2.1 s in their later study. 18 Sonies and colleagues 19 reported later that the time for swallowing was between 1.79 and 3.41 s for swallowing saliva and between 1.30 and 2.47 s for swallowing fluid. In our study we calculated an average total time of swallowing of 2.43 s for M-mode ultrasonography.…”

“…In addition, swallowing with or without water also may affect the duration of swallowing. 19 3. Both electromyographic and acoustic approaches to swallowing are only indirect investigations.…”

Effects of Age, Gender, Bolus Volume, and Trial on Swallowing Apnea Duration and Swallow/Respiratory Phase Relationships of Normal Adults

“…Sonies et al [25] reported slower elderly adult swallows compared to young adult swallows. In addition older individuals demonstrated increased oropharyngeal pressure duration [15] and increased hypopharyngeal pressure in amplitude and duration compared with young [26].…”