title: Deglutition and respiratory patterns during sleep in the aged.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Deglutition was extremely infrequent and displayed unique patterns during sleep in the aged.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The deglutition and respiratory phase patterns during sleep in the healthy aged were investigated in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten aged adults (average age = 71 years) were examined via time-matched digital recordings of polysomnography and surface electromyography of the muscles (thyrohyoid and suprahyoid muscles) related to swallowing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During sleep, swallowing was extremely infrequent and absent for long periods in the aged. The median number of swallows per hour during total sleep time was 0.6, and the median longest deglutition-free period was 134.8 minutes. Most deglutition occurred in association with spontaneous electroencephalographic arousal both in REM and non-REM sleep. Deglutition was related to the sleep stage. The deeper the sleep stage, the lower the mean deglutition frequency. There was no deglutition during deep sleep. Overall muscle tone is inhibited during REM sleep. However, deglutition also occurred in association with spontaneous EEG arousal. The deeper the sleep stage, the lower the mean arousal frequency, and the lower the mean ratio of arousal with deglutition to arousal. Approximately one-third of swallows occurred after inspiration and were followed by inspiration.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Kurume University School of Medicine , Kurume , Japan.
authors.forename: Kiminori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Kurume University School of Medicine , Kurume , Japan.
authors.forename: Shun-Ichi
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Chitose
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Kurume University School of Medicine , Kurume , Japan.
authors.forename: Kiminobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: a Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery , Kurume University School of Medicine , Kurume , Japan.
authors.forename: Hirohito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umeno
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003679:Deglutition; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D012119:Respiration; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Deglutition; electroencephalographic arousal; nocturnal swallowing; respiratory phase pattern; sleep; the aged