New Swallowing Evaluation Using Piezoelectricity in Normal Individuals.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics of swallowing
• Physiological acoustics
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Swallowing involves complex biomechanical and physiological processes.
• Accurate measurement of swallowing dynamics is crucial for diagnosing dysphagia.
• Current methods for assessing swallowing can be invasive or limited in scope.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between piezoelectric waveform latency, hyoid bone movement, and surface electromyogram (sEMG) during swallowing.
• To explore age-related differences in these swallowing parameters.
• To assess the potential of piezoelectric films for swallowing screening.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous measurement of hyoid bone movement (videofluorography), piezoelectric waveform, and suprahyoid muscle sEMG in 41 healthy adults across three age groups.
• Analysis of latencies for three distinct phases of hyoid bone movement (VFS1-3) and piezoelectric waveform (PS1-3).
• Comparison of latencies between different liquid consistencies (thin vs. thick) and age groups.

Main Results:

• Significant correlations were found between hyoid bone movement latencies (VFS1-3) and piezoelectric waveform latencies (PS1-3).
• Thicker liquids resulted in significantly longer VFS1 and PS1 latencies compared to thin liquids.
• Older adults exhibited longer VFS2, PS1, and PS2 latencies than younger and middle-aged groups.
• The onset of PS1 closely matched the onset of sEMG and VFS1, and the end of PS1 coincided with bolus arrival in the valleculae.

Conclusions:

• Piezoelectric waveform latency is closely linked to hyoid bone kinematics and muscle activity during swallowing.
• Age and liquid consistency significantly influence swallowing dynamics as measured by piezoelectric waveforms.
• Piezoelectric films show promise as a non-invasive tool for swallowing assessment, but further research in dysphagia patients is warranted.