Abstract
Pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PEStim) has been found to facilitate voluntary swallowing. This study investigated how PEStim contributed to modulation of swallowing function in 15 healthy humans. In the involuntary swallowing test, water was injected onto the pharynx at 0.05 ml/s and the onset latency of the first swallow was measured. In the voluntary swallowing test, subjects swallowed their own saliva as quickly as possible for 30 s and the number of swallows was counted. Voluntary and involuntary swallowing was evaluated before (baseline), immediately after, and every 10 min after 10-min PEStim for 60 min. A voluntary swallowing test with simultaneous 30-s PEStim was also conducted before and 60 min after 10-min PEStim. The number of voluntary swallows with simultaneous PEStim significantly increased over 60 min after 10-min PEStim compared with the baseline. The onset latency of the first swallow in the involuntary swallowing test was not affected by 10-min PEStim. The results suggest that PEStim may have a long-term facilitatory effect on the initiation of voluntary swallowing in healthy humans, but not on peripherally-evoked swallowing. The physiological implications of this modulation are discussed.
Highlights
The mechanism of swallowing involves complex sensorimotor neural components
There was a significant difference in the number of voluntary swallows between with and without simultaneous Pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PEStim) in all the groups (P < 0.05) while there was no difference between the stimulation and sham groups
Because it was possible that the number of evoked swallows during 10-min PEStim affected the subsequent changes in the initiation of involuntary and voluntary swallows, we evaluated the relationship between evoked swallows in 10-min PEStim
Summary
The mechanism of swallowing involves complex sensorimotor neural components. The complexity of swallowing may be explained by the fact that swallowing has several functions, including propelling the food bolus from the oral cavity into the stomach through the pharynx and the esophagus, and protecting the upper respiratory tract by cleaning the larynx and pharynx; preventing choking or aspiration of secretions or food [1,2,3,4]. Underlying motor patterns of swallowing are programmed by the so-called central pattern generator (CPG) in the medulla oblongata, and both the peripheral and central inputs into the CPG can trigger swallowing [2, 3]. In other words, swallowing can be initiated either involuntarily or voluntarily. Peripherally-evoked swallowing can be initiated by mechanical or chemical
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