title: Oral and pharyngeal bolus transit in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may have swallowing dysfunction.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing in patients with COPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 16 patients with clinical manifestations and pulmonary function tests diagnosis of COPD (mean age: 68 years) and 15 nonsmoking healthy volunteers (mean age: 65 years) with normal pulmonary function tests. All subjects were submitted to clinical and videofluoroscopic evaluation of swallowing. Each subject performed in duplicate swallows of 5 mL and 10 mL of liquid bolus, paste bolus, and a solid bolus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In general, the duration of the events of the pharyngeal phase of swallowing was longer in COPD patients than controls. The difference was significant in the laryngeal vestibular closure, hyoid movement, and pharyngeal transit with swallows of both volumes of liquid bolus; in oral-pharyngeal transit with 5 mL paste bolus; and in pharyngeal and oral-pharyngeal transit with solid bolus. The difference between the duration of maximal laryngeal elevation and the duration of pharyngeal transit was higher in control subjects than in patients with COPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggested that patients with COPD have a longer pharyngeal swallowing phase than normal subjects, which is associated with a decrease in the difference between the duration of maximal laryngeal elevation and the duration of pharyngeal transit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rachel Aguiar
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cassiani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla Manfredi
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baddini-Martinez
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto Oliveira
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Dantas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003679:Deglutition; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: COPD; deglutition; oral–pharyngeal transit; swallowing; videofluoroscopy