title: [Surface electromyographic activities of submental muscles among stroke patients with dysphagia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the swallowing functions of stroke patients with dysphagia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 41 subjects were recruited.There were 15 stroke patients with dysphagia, 12 stroke patients without swallowing disorders and 14 age-and gender-matched healthy controls.Surface electromyography (sEMG) was employed over the suprahyoid muscle group.Single swallow was applied twice with 5 and 10 ml of thin liquid barium as well as 5 and 10 ml of paste barium.The duration, average amplitude of sEMG and peak amplitude of submental muscle contraction were compared among three groups.Three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences existed in the general data among three groups (P > 0.05).However, all volumes, consistencies and durations [ (1.38 ± 0.21), (1.66 ± 0.30), (1.46 ± 0.24), (1.78 ± 0.28) s] were significantly longer for the group of dysphagia patients than for those without dysphagia and healthy subjects (P < 0.05).And the average amplitudes ( (16 ± 6), (15 ± 5), (20 ± 13), (19 ± 7) µV) were significantly smaller for the group of dysphagia patients than for those without dysphagia and healthy subjects (P < 0.05) while the peak amplitudes ((48 ± 23), (51 ± 23), (51 ± 31), (63 ± 32) µV) were significantly smaller for the group of dysphagia patients than for those without dysphagia and healthy subjects (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between patients without dysphagia and those of healthy subjects (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a simple and useful tool, sEMG is feasible for evaluating swallowing function and quantifying the strength of swallowing muscles in post-stroke patients with dysphagia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors.forename: Ling-jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jing-jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Tie-bin
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Shao-ling
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology*