title: Oropharyngeal and laryngeal sensory innervation in the pathophysiology of swallowing disorders and sensory stimulation treatments.
abstract: Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) affects older and neurological patients, causing malnutrition and dehydration and increasing the risk for aspiration pneumonia. There is evidence that sensory deficits in those populations are closely related to swallowing disorders, and several research groups are developing new therapies based on sensory stimulation of this area. More information on the sensory innervation participating in the swallow response is needed to better understand the pathophysiology of OD and to develop new treatments. This review focuses on the sensory innervation of the human oropharynx and larynx in healthy people compared with patients with swallowing disorders in order to unravel the abnormalities that may lead to the loss of sensitivity in patients with OD. We also hypothesize the pathway through which active sensory-enhancement treatments may elicit their therapeutic effect on patients with swallowing dysfunctions. As far as we know, this is the first time a review covers the anatomy, histology, ultrastructure, and molecular biology of the sensory innervation of the swallowing function.
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory, Hospital de Mataró, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Spain.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Berdugo
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rofes
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Hospital de Mataró, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Spain.
authors.forename: J Francesc
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Casamitjana
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital de Mataró, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Spain.
authors.forename: Andreína
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Padrón
authors.affiliation: ENT and Cervicofacial Pathology Department of Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quer
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory, Hospital de Mataró, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Spain. pere.clave@ciberehd.org.|Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain. pere.clave@ciberehd.org.|Fundació Institut de Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain. pere.clave@ciberehd.org.
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clavé
mesh_terms: D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007823:Laryngeal Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology; D007830:Larynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000294:innervation* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: afferent pathways; anatomy; histology; larynx; molecular biology; oropharynx