title: Electrophysiological change in the tensor veli palatini muscle after radiotherapy.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Electromyography of the tensor veli palatine (TVP) was abnormal and showed mainly myogenic impairment in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with secretory otitis media (SOM) after radiotherapy. The diseased ears showed impairment in opening functions of the eustachian tubes (ETs).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize electrophysiology of the TVP muscle using electromyography (EMG) in patients with SOM after radiotherapy of NPC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy volunteers and 20 patients with NPC and SOM after radiotherapy were chosen for assessment of EMG of the TVP during swallowing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The measurements of average duration and amplitude of action potential, swallowing contraction duration, and peak voltage in NPC patients with both SOM (n = 25) and healthy ears (n = 6) were significantly lower than those of ears (n = 38) in healthy controls (p < 0.01). In patients with NPC, the average action potential duration and swallowing contraction duration in ears with SOM were lower than those of subjects with healthy ears (p < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was found in average amplitude of action potential and peak voltage between them.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nan'ning.
authors.forename: Guang-Yao
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Mei-Chan
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Bibek
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gyanwali
authors.forename: Song-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: An-Zhou
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002277:Carcinoma; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010156:Palatal Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; electromyography; eustachian tubes; secretory otitis media