title: Biomechanical events of swallowing are determined more by bolus consistency than by age or gender.
abstract: The biomechanics of swallowing saliva and substances of different consistencies were investigated in healthy children and adults. To this end, the duration and mean amplitude value (MAV) of surface electromyography (sEMG) of the submental muscle group (SMG) activity, the maximum anterior tongue pressure (ATP), and the rise and release slopes of ATP were measured while participants (39 female and 39 male participants, age 5-65 years) swallowed saliva, 5 mL water (reference), 5 mL thick liquid, and 5 mL solid food. Mean outcome parameters varied with the consistency of the liquid or food swallowed, with the exception of the rise slope of ATP. Moreover, outcome variables were not substantially affected by age with children of 5 years and older showing similar biomechanical events to those of adults. It is important to gain insight into the biomechanics of swallowing saliva and substances of different consistencies in order to understand the underlying mechanisms of dysphagia children and adults.
authors.affiliation: Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Department of Rehabilitation, P.O. Box 9101, local address 818, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. L.vandenEngel@reval.umcn.nl
authors.forename: Lenie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van den Engel-Hoek
authors.forename: Imelda J M
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esser
authors.forename: Birthe
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gorissen
authors.forename: Jan C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.forename: Bert J M
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: de Swart
authors.forename: Alexander C H
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Geurts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004326:Drinking / Q000502:physiology; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D012463:Saliva / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology