title: Glottis constriction response in healthy subjects.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the glottis constriction response induced by a sudden and involuntary increase in gastric and oesophageal pressures by Tll-Ll intervertebral magnetic stimulation of the abdominal muscle roots in nine healthy subjects. Twitch flow, twitch gastric, and oesophageal pressures were measured after abdominal muscle root stimulation, which allowed pharyngo-laryngeal muscle activation to be characterized. Pharyngeal endoscopies were performed on five subjects to assess vocal cord movements. All stimulations induced positive gastric and oesophageal pressures and expiratory flow, which increased with stimulation intensity (flow: R=0.32; p<0.0001; oesophageal pressure: R=0.26; p=0.001; gastric pressure: R=0.37; p<0.0001). Twitch gastric pressure and twitch oesophageal pressure were negatively correlated with twitch flow (respectively, R=-0.183, p<0.05; R=-0.35, p<0.0001). Upper airway resistance was higher at peak oesophageal pressure than at peak flow (p<0.001). Peak twitch gastric and twitch oesophageal pressure latencies were similar (133+/-4ms and 122+/-4ms) but longer than peak twitch flow and EMG latencies (62+/-2ms and 73+/-4ms, p<0.0001). Glottis constriction following magnetic abdominal muscle root stimulation was seen in all subjects during endoscopy, with a latency estimated at between 80 and 100ms. This method could be a new, simple tool for assessing the upper airway constriction protective reflex.
authors.affiliation: Service de Physiologie Digestive, Urinaire, Respiratoire et Sportive, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, CHU de Rouen, 1 rue de Germont, 76031 Rouen Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gourcerol
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Marie
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verin
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D003250:Constriction; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004064:Digestive System; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004576:Electromyography; D004947:Esophagus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006874:Hydrostatic Pressure; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000502:physiology