Evaluation of swallowing movement using ultrasonography

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Gerontology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Swallowing function assessment is crucial for identifying dysphagia.
• Ultrasonography offers a non-invasive method to visualize laryngeal and hyoid bone dynamics during swallowing.
• Age-related changes can impact swallowing function, necessitating reliable assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an index for assessing swallowing function using ultrasonography.
• To evaluate the relationship between hyoid bone and laryngeal movements during water swallowing.
• To determine if this index is influenced by age or physiological factors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ultrasonography to observe hyoid bone and laryngeal movements in 84 participants (42 younger, 42 older).
• Measured displacements of the hyoid bone and larynx during 5 mL water swallows.
• Calculated the hyoid bone-laryngeal motion ratio (hyoid displacement / laryngeal displacement).

Main Results:

• Hyoid bone displacement significantly differed between younger and older groups.
• Laryngeal displacement showed significant differences based on age and sex.
• The hyoid bone-laryngeal motion ratio was not significantly correlated with age, height, or body weight and showed no significant group differences.

Conclusions:

• The hyoid bone-laryngeal motion ratio serves as a robust index for evaluating swallowing movement.
• This ratio is independent of participant physique and age-related physiological changes.
• Ultrasonography-based hyoid bone-laryngeal motion ratio offers a reliable method for swallowing function assessment.