Submental Surface Electromyographic Measurement and Pharyngeal Pressures During Normal and Effortful Swallowing

Abstract

Huckabee ML, Butler SG, Barclay M, Jit S. Submental surface electromyographic measurement and pharyngeal pressures during normal and effortful swallowing. Objective To evaluate the influence of 2 swallowing maneuvers on anterior suprahyoid surface electromyographic measurement and pharyngeal manometric pressure. Design Correlational analysis of biomechanic measures of swallowing. Setting Research laboratory in a community hospital. Participants A consecutive volunteer sample of 22 healthy subjects (mean, 29.7y). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Peak amplitude of submental surface electromyographic and pharyngeal manometric pressure at 3 locations. Results Effortful swallow generated greater pharyngeal pressure than normal swallow at the 2 proximal pharyngeal sensors (sensor 1: P=.017; sensor 2: P=.009) and lower pressure at the distal sensor (upper esophageal sphincter) ( P<.001). Pressure in the upper pharynx was lower than that in the lower pharynx ( P=.027). Effortful swallow generated greater surface electromyographic amplitudes than normal swallowing ( P<.001). A statistically significant but weak negative correlation was identified between surface electromyographic and mid-pharyngeal pressure for normal swallowing condition ( r=–.21, P<.01). For the effortful swallowing condition, statistically significant but weak negative correlations were identified between surface electromyographic and pressure measurements at all sensors (sensor 1: r=–.16, P=.02; sensor 2: r=–.30, P<.01; sensor 3: r=–.18, P<.01). Conclusions There is a significant change in both suprahyoid surface electromyographic and pharyngeal pressures during effortful swallow compared with normal swallow.