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Adapting Human Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Methods to Detect and Characterize Dysphagia in Murine Disease Models
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Age-Related Functional Reserve Decline Is Not Seen in Pharyngeal Swallowing Pressures
Corinne A Jones1,2, Christina M Colletti1
1Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin.
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|September 15, 2021
Summary
Healthy aging preserves pharyngeal functional reserve. Older adults can increase pharyngeal pressures during effortful swallowing, suggesting potential for behavioral interventions.
Area of Science:
- Swallowing physiology
- Aging research
- High-resolution manometry
Background:
- Functional reserve declines with age in oral tongue pressure.
- Pharyngeal swallowing functional reserve in aging is not well understood.
- Age-related changes in swallowing pressures require investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate pharyngeal functional reserve in healthy young and older adults.
- To compare pharyngeal pressures during normal-effort and effortful swallows.
- To determine if age impacts pharyngeal pressure generation during swallowing.
Main Methods:
- Pharyngeal high-resolution manometry was used in 38 younger (<40 years) and 18 older (≥60 years) healthy adults.
- Participants performed normal-effort and effortful water swallows.
- Key pressure metrics (maximum pressure, pharyngeal contractile integral, UES minimum pressure) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Effortful swallows significantly increased pharyngeal pressures and pharyngeal contractile integral compared to normal-effort swallows (p < .001).
- No significant interaction between swallow task and age was found for pharyngeal pressures.
- Older adults showed elevated UES minimum pressures during effortful swallows (p = .007), not indicative of reduced reserve.
Conclusions:
- Healthy individuals effectively increase pharyngeal driving pressures during effortful swallowing.
- No age-related reduction in the magnitude of pharyngeal pressure increase was observed.
- Findings suggest preserved pharyngeal functional reserve in aging, supporting swallowing interventions for older adults.
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