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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Minimally Invasive Murine Laryngoscopy for Close-Up Imaging of Laryngeal Motion During Breathing and Swallowing
Published on: December 1, 2023
A new noninvasive method for determination of laryngeal sensory function
Jonathan M Bock1, Joel H Blumin, Robert J Toohill
1Department of Otolaryngology & Communication Sciences Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. jbock@mcw.edu
Objectives/Hypothesis:
We report a new surface technique for studying sensory conduction in the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN).
Study Design:
Prospective controlled cohort study at an academic tertiary care hospital.
Methods:
Surface stimulation of the vagus nerve 7-10 cm proximal to a surface electrode placed over the cricothyroid muscle was performed in controls and in subjects with needle electromyographic-confirmed laryngeal neuropathy. Cathodal stimulation was applied below the mastoid process behind the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Nerve conduction parameters were determined.
Results:
Noninvasive SLN evoked potential studies were performed on healthy volunteers (n = 28) as well as neuropathic subjects (n = 27). Compared to controls, the neuropathic subjects had statistically significant differences in baseline-to-peak amplitude, conduction velocity, and intrasubject side-to-side amplitude ratio (P <.01) of their surface evoked laryngeal sensory action potential (SELSAP).
Conclusions:
Laryngeal sensory nerve conduction can be determined noninvasively by evaluating SELSAP waveform. This study provides a reproducible method for electrophysiologic evaluation of a sensory branch of the SLN.
