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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe biomechanical correlates of the surface electromyographic signal obtained during swallowing by healthy adult volunteers. Method: Seventeen healthy adults were evaluated with simultaneous videofluoroscopy and surface electromyography (sEMG) while swallowing 5 mL of liquid barium sulfate. Three biomechanical swallowing events were analyzed: hyoid elevation, pharyngeal constriction, and opening-closing of the pharyngoesophageal segment. For each biomechanical event and from the sEMG signal, the authors identified onset, peak, and offset time points. From these points, duration measures were calculated. Means and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each measure. Subsequently, correlations were evaluated between timing aspects of the sEMG traces and each biomechanical event. Results: Swallow onset in the sEMG signal preceded the onset of all biomechanical events. All biomechanical events demonstrated a strong correspondence to the sEMG signal. The strongest relationship was between hyoid elevation-anterior displacement and the sEMG signal. Conclusions: These results suggest that the sEMG signal is a useful indicator of major biomechanical events in the swallow. Future studies should address the impact of age and disease processes, as well as bolus characteristics, on the biomechanical correlates of sEMG signals obtained during swallowing. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx is one of the 10 most common tumor sites, with an incidence of 16.5 per 100,000 (U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group, 2013). Although [...], Purpose: This article investigated the effects of increased oral lingual pressure on pharyngeal pressures during swallowing in patients who have undergone radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. It was hypothesized that increased oral lingual pressure would result in increased pharyngeal pressures. Method: A within-subject experimental design was used with 20 participants who were status post external beam radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Participants completed typical swallows and swallows with increased lingual force during manofluoroscopic swallow studies. The swallow condition order was randomized across participants. Results: Manometric data revealed significant differences in swallow pressure by condition at the base of tongue and upper esophageal sphincter sensor locations without significant pressure differences in the lower pharynx. The effortful lingual swallows resulted in higher mean pressures at all locations. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that use of a maneuver designed to increase oral tongue effort can also increase pharyngeal tongue base pressure. Therefore, therapeutic activities used to generate greater pressure of the oral tongue may also alter pharyngeal response. Further research is needed to determine the direct clinical effect on swallow function for individuals with head and neck cancer.

Features associated with the production of linguistic prosody were investigated in seven young speech-disordered children and seven young children with age-appropriate speech abilities. The primary differences between groups were in time characteristics of imitated responses. Results are discussed in terms of physiologic and/or linguistic processes. (Author/DB)