Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 87, Issue 8 , Pages 1067-1072, August 2006

An Analysis of Lingual Contribution to Submental Surface Electromyographic Measures and Pharyngeal Pressure During Effortful Swallow

  • Maggie-Lee Huckabee, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Communication Disorders, University of Canterbury, and Van der Veer Institute for Parkinson’s and Brain Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Maggie-Lee Huckabee, PhD, Van der Veer Institute, 16 St Asaph St, Christchurch, New Zealand
  • ,
  • Catriona M. Steele, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, and the Graduate Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

Abstract 

Huckabee M-L, Steele CM. An analysis of lingual contribution to submental surface electromyographic measures and pharyngeal pressure during effortful swallow.

Objective

To evaluate the influence of tongue-to-palate pressures on submental muscle contraction and oral and pharyngeal pressure dynamics during effortful swallowing maneuver.

Design

Comparative analysis of 2 task strategies on biomechanic measures of swallowing.

Setting

Research laboratory in a free-standing research facility.

Participants

Consecutive volunteer sample of 20 healthy participants (age range, 20−35y).

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

Peak amplitude of submental surface electromyography and orolingual and pharyngeal manometric pressure at 4 locations.

Results

General linear model analysis of variance revealed statistically significant greater amplitudes for the tongue emphasis condition of effortful swallow at all measured sensors (P<.004).

Conclusions

Tongue-to-palate emphasis during execution of effortful swallowing increases amplitudes of submental surface electromyography, orolingual pressure, and upper pharyngeal pressure to a greater degree than a strategy of inhibiting tongue-to-palate emphasis.

Key Words:  Deglutition , Electromyography , Manometry , Pharyngeal muscles , Rehabilitation

 

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(06)00401-1

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2006.04.019

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 87, Issue 8 , Pages 1067-1072, August 2006