Evaluation of hyoid movement during swallowing using a bend sensor

Abstract

Swallowing is a process in which the food bolus is taken into the mouth and broken down to be transported from the oral cavity to the stomach via the pharynx and oesophagus. In this process, over 30 nerves and muscles in the face, mouth, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus work in precise temporal and spatial coordination. 1 In particular, during pharyngeal swallowing, in which the bolus passes through the pharynx and is transported into the oesophagus, organs and muscles attached to the pharynx and larynx act in concert to close the airway and transport the bolus in less than a second, without the risk of aspiration or choking. 2 Thus, it is important to evaluate the movement of the larynx Abstract Background: Movement of the hyoid and laryngeal complex is critical for preventing aspiration, as well as smooth bolus passage through the pharynx. We have developed a non-invasive system for measuring laryngeal movement during swallowing with a bend sensor and have already reported the time coordination between the signal waveform from the sensor and hyoid movement.Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the quantitative association between the output value of the sensor and hyoid movement during swallowing.Methods: A small bend sensor was fixed on the skin surface along the midline of the neck of 13 healthy men (mean age, 30.8 ± 4.5 years). Laryngeal and hyoid movements during swallowing of 5 mL of water were recorded synchronously by the bend sensor and videofluorography. The relationship between the bend sensor output value (LM value) and hyoid position (x-and y-axis displacements) by videofluorography from the onset to the offset of the signal waveform was analysed for all tasks and for each task using Pearson's correlation coefficients.Results: There was a positive correlation between the LM value and hyoid position for all tasks (x-axis displacement: r = .647, y-axis displacement: r = .233). In particular, there was a moderate to high correlation between the LM value and x-axis displacement for each task (.453 ≤ r ≤ .934). Conclusion:The LM value can be a quantitative parameter of anterior hyoid movement during swallowing that might be associated with bolus flow and upper oesophageal sphincter opening. K E Y W O R D S diagnostic systems, dysphagia, hyoid, larynx, swallow, videofluorography S U PP O RTI N G I N FO R M ATI O N Additional supporting information may be found online in the Supporting Information section. How to cite this article: Murakami K, Minagi Y, Hori K, et al. Evaluation of hyoid movement during swallowing using a bend sensor. J Oral Rehabil. 2020;47:339-345. https ://doi.

Acoustic Analysis of Swallowing of an Experimental Meal of Three Food Textures: A Comparative Aging Study

“…Some teams have conducted studies on swallowing with surface electromyography and accelerometry to record suprahyoid muscles and laryngeal activation [ 11 ]. Others used bend sensors to detect laryngeal movements [ 12 , 13 ]. Acoustic analysis of swallowing sounds is another non-invasive method in full expansion, consisting in placing microphones on the neck and analyzing the acoustic signal.…”