title: Variability of the pharyngeal phase of swallow in the cat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pharyngeal phase of swallow has been thought to be a stereotypical motor behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective, preclinical, hypothesis driven, one group by three-task design.
  
  
  METHODS
  We sought to compare the effects of pharyngeal swabbing, water only, and water plus punctate mechanical stimulation on the spatiotemporal features of the pharyngeal phase of swallow in the cat. Swallow was elicited under these three conditions in six anaesthetized cats. Electromyographic activity was recorded from seven muscles used to evaluate swallow: mylohyoid, geniohyoid, thyrohyoid, thyroarytenoid, thyropharyngeus, cricopharyngeus, and parasternal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pharyngeal swabbing in comparison to the other stimulus conditions, results in decreases in post-swallow cricopharyngeus activity (upper esophageal sphincter); a significant increase in parasternal (schluckatmung; swallow breath) activity; and increases in thyrohyoid (laryngeal elevator), thyroarytenoid (laryngeal adductor) and parasternal muscles burst duration. Pearson correlations were found of moderate strength between 19% of burst duration comparisons and weak to moderate relationships between 29% of burst amplitude comparisons. However, there were no positive significant relationships between phase durations and electromyogram amplitudes between any of the muscles studied during swallow.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the concept that a stereotypical behavior, such as pharyngeal swallowing in animal models, can be modified by sensory feedback from pharyngeal mucosal mechanoreceptors. Furthermore, differences in swallow phase durations and amplitudes provide evidence that separate regulatory mechanisms exist which regulate spatial and temporal aspects of the behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Spearman
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America; Institute of Medical Biophysics, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Martin, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Poliacek
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Melanie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Donald C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bolser
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pitts
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000502:physiology*