title: Animal Models for Dysphagia Studies: What Have We Learnt So Far.
abstract: Research using animal models has contributed significantly to realizing the goal of understanding dysfunction and improving the care of patients who suffer from dysphagia. But why should other researchers and the clinicians who see patients day in and day out care about this work? Results from studies of animal models have the potential to change and grow how we think about dysphagia research and practice in general, well beyond applying specific results to human studies. Animal research provides two key contributions to our understanding of dysphagia. The first is a more complete characterization of the physiology of both normal and pathological swallow than is possible in human subjects. The second is suggesting of specific, physiological, targets for development and testing of treatment interventions to improve dysphagia outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, 444272, USA. rgerman@neomed.edu.
authors.forename: Rebecca Z
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9989-7847
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: German
authors.affiliation: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Crompton
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, 444272, USA.
authors.forename: Francois D H
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Gould
authors.affiliation: Division of Physiology, King's College, Guy's Campus, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
authors.forename: Allan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Thexton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans
keywords: Animal models; Deglutition; Deglutition disorders; Pathophysiology; Performance