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Cortical representation of swallowing: a modified dual task paradigm
Stephanie K Daniels1, David M Corey, Cristen L Barnes
1Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, USA. stephanie.daniels@med.va.gov
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|June 26, 2002
Summary
Swallowing control may involve both brain hemispheres, with some evidence suggesting a left hemisphere role. This research explored swallowing lateralization using dual tasks in healthy adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
Background:
- Cortical representation of swallowing remains unclear, with possibilities including left, right, or bilateral control.
- Dysphagia (swallowing difficulty) is prevalent in acute stroke, highlighting the need to understand swallowing lateralization for early risk detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the lateralization of swallowing control in healthy adults.
- To determine if swallowing is primarily controlled by the left hemisphere, right hemisphere, or both.
Main Methods:
- A modified dual-task paradigm was employed with 14 healthy, young, right-handed males.
- Tasks included continuous swallowing, finger tapping (left and right index fingers), and word repetition, both independently and with interference.
- Swallowing rate and volume were measured using X-ray, alongside finger-tapping rates.
Main Results:
- Right index finger tapping was faster than the left at baseline.
- Swallowing interference significantly reduced tapping rates for both fingers.
- Volume per swallow decreased during an interfering language task (silent word repetition).
Conclusions:
- Findings provide partial support for a bilateral representation of swallowing.
- Results suggest a significant contribution from the left cerebral hemisphere to swallowing.
- Further research is needed to compare left and right hemisphere contributions directly.