Development of a swallowing frequency meter using a laryngeal microphone

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Disuse atrophy of swallowing organs is a concern in the elderly, often linked to decreased swallowing frequency.
• Swallowing frequency in elderly individuals during daily activities has not been adequately studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the utility of a newly developed swallowing frequency meter for measuring swallowing events in real-life settings.
• To validate the accuracy of the swallowing frequency meter against established methods like self-enumeration and videofluorography.

Main Methods:

• Development of a swallowing frequency meter utilizing a laryngeal microphone designed for unobtrusive daily use.
• Experiment 1: Validation of the meter's detection capability by comparing its readings with self-enumeration and videofluorography during saliva and food swallowing.
• Experiment 2: Assessment of the meter's concordance rate with self-enumeration over extended periods (rest and meals) in 15 subjects.

Main Results:

• Experiment 1 demonstrated perfect coincidence between the meter, self-enumeration, and videofluorography in detecting swallowing events.
• Experiment 2 showed high concordance rates: 96.8-98.9% at rest and 95.2-96.1% during meals between the meter and self-enumeration.
• The swallowing frequency meter proved effective in capturing swallowing events across different conditions.

Conclusions:

• The developed swallowing frequency meter is a validated and useful tool for measuring swallowing frequency in elderly individuals during daily life.
• This technology can aid in the assessment of disuse atrophy related to swallowing by providing objective frequency data.
• The meter's non-restrictive design facilitates continuous monitoring, offering valuable insights into swallowing behavior outside clinical settings.