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Updated: Jan 19, 2026
Adapting Human Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Methods to Detect and Characterize Dysphagia in Murine Disease Models
Published on: March 1, 2015
The Adult Ts65Dn Mouse Model of Down Syndrome Shows Altered Swallow Function
Tiffany J Glass1, Luke Carmichael V Valmadrid1, Nadine P Connor1,2
1Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States.
Adult Ts65Dn mice, a model for Down syndrome (DS), exhibit impaired swallowing. This study identifies Ts65Dn mice as a potential model for studying dysphagia in DS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Down syndrome (DS) is associated with increased risks of deglutition disorders.
- Mouse models are crucial for studying DS, but swallowing phenotypes are understudied.
- Understanding swallowing deficits in DS can inform therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare swallowing performance in adult mouse models of Down syndrome (Ts65Dn and Dp(16)1Yey) against typical controls.
- To determine if specific DS mouse models exhibit dysphagia (swallowing difficulties).
- To explore potential biological underpinnings by analyzing tongue muscle characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) were performed on adult Ts65Dn, Dp(16)1Yey, and control mice.
- Swallowing parameters including swallow rate and inter-swallow intervals (ISI) were analyzed.
- Quantitative analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles was conducted.
Main Results:
- Adult Ts65Dn mice demonstrated significantly slower swallow rates and longer ISIs compared to controls.
- Ts65Dn mice exhibited more jaw excursion cycles per swallow.
- Adult Dp(16)1Yey mice showed swallowing performance comparable to control mice.
- No significant differences in myosin heavy chain isoform profiles of tongue muscles were observed between genotypes.
Conclusions:
- Swallowing is atypical in adult Ts65Dn mice, suggesting potential utility as a model for DS-associated dysphagia.
- Swallowing performance in adult Dp(16)1Yey mice was similar to controls.
- The underlying causes of dysphagia in Ts65Dn mice remain to be elucidated.
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