Abstract
Use of increased lingual pressure while swallowing has been proposed to improve swallow function. However, there are few studies, even in healthy individuals, that address this issue. Furthermore, even less is known about the role of increased lingual pressure in specific clinical populations. The current study paired videofluoroscopy with lingual and pharyngeal manometry to investigate differences between two swallowing conditions, typical swallowing and forceful lingual swallowing, in 20 participants who were status post external beam radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of swallow condition on pharyngeal pressures, total swallow duration, and penetration/aspiration. Pharyngeal manometric data showed significant main effects for condition and sensor location, as well as an interaction between the two. Individual comparisons revealed significantly higher base of tongue pressure, no change in hypopharynx pressure, and increased nadir pressure at the upper esophageal sphincter during the forceful lingual swallow condition. Additionally, during the forceful lingual swallow condition, there was increased total swallow duration; however, there was no significant change in penetration/aspiration scores. Since reduced contact between the tongue base and posterior pharyngeal wall is a common problem in this clinical population, the results of this study suggest use of increased lingual pressure as a maneuver may facilitate more successful swallowing.
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