Tongue Motor Recruitment During Exercise

Summary

The prevalence of dysphagia may be as high as 22% in individuals over 50 years of age. There are few therapeutic options offered to these individuals. One more recent therapeutic option is Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST), which has been used successfully to maintain or increase expiratory force generating pressures, cough function, and swallowing in a number of disease populations. Recently, the investigators have noted improvements in oral transit time during swallowing in individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) that could potentially be attributed to improved base of tongue functioning and muscle activation.

There has been one study that demonstrated that breathing training resulted in increased and prolonged submental (under the chin) muscle activation as evidenced by surface electromyography. However, no studies have investigated the activation of the tongue muscles during various swallowing and breathing exercises. A small needle electrode (fine wire EMG) is standard of care in diagnosing muscular diseases because it can determine amount of muscle recruitment for muscles throughout the body. This aim of this research study is to examine the effects of breathing exercises and swallowing exercises on tongue muscle activity in healthy adults.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Electromyography

During the fine wire electromyography (EMG), the participant will be asked to complete breathing exercises at 50% and 75% of their maximum capacity (determined prior to fine wire EMG using manometry) to determine activation and recruitment of genioglossus muscle.

PROCEDURE

Maximum expiratory pressure

The participants' maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) will be assessed using a hand-held digital manometer (MP01, Micro Direct Inc.). The subject will be standing and while wearing a nose clip be asked to blow out as hard and fast as they can to determine their MEP. This will be completed a maximum of three times to obtain values within close range of one another.

PROCEDURE

Videofluoroscopy

Videofluoroscopy allows for time-synced, frame-by-frame data analysis for the specific measures taken during swallowing tasks.

BEHAVIORAL

Swallowing Tasks

These include: an anterior tongue press to the alveolar ridge (behind the front molars), a saliva swallow, a 10 mL barium swallow, a 10 mL barium "hard" swallow (i.e. swallowing with extra effort), and two breathing exercise trials at 50% MEP and 75% MEP.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Florida

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Emily K Plowman, PhD, CCC-SLP · University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

90 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2016-05-31

Primary Completion

2016-12-31

Completion

2016-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations