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Mechanisms of Improving Feeding Function With Capsaicin Following Local Anesthesia in Infant Pigs
Chloe E Edmonds1, Kaitlyn N Robbins1,2, Elizabeth G Dvorak1
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, USA.
The Laryngoscope
|July 11, 2025
Summary
Anesthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) impaired infant feeding efficiency, but improved airway protection. Capsaicin partially restored feeding function, suggesting it may help some, but not all, cases of dysphagia.
Area of Science:
- Infant feeding physiology
- Neuroscience of sensation and motor control
- Swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
Background:
- Sensory deficits negatively impact feeding, while sensory stimulation can enhance it.
- Capsaicin, a sensory stimulant, improves swallowing in adults and affects feeding in infant animals.
- The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) plays a role in oral sensation and motor control relevant to feeding.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) in infant feeding.
- To determine if capsaicin can reverse or compensate for feeding deficits caused by IAN anesthesia.
- To assess the impact of IAN anesthesia and capsaicin on swallowing physiology in an infant model.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a simultaneous videofluoroscopy and electromyography (EMG) approach in an infant pig model.
- Quantified swallow frequency, sucks per swallow, milk intake per suck, bolus size, and airway compromise.
- Measured tongue and thyroid cartilage excursions, and digastric, genioglossus, and thyrohyoid muscle activity.
Main Results:
- IAN anesthesia reduced feeding efficiency (decreased swallow frequency, milk per suck, bolus size; increased sucks per swallow).
- Airway protection improved with IAN anesthesia, alongside altered tongue excursion.
- Capsaicin partially restored some feeding variables but did not fully reverse IAN anesthesia deficits.
Conclusions:
- IAN anesthesia presents a trade-off between reduced feeding efficiency and enhanced airway protection.
- Capsaicin affects feeding physiology but does not universally reverse sensory-related feeding deficits.
- Capsaicin may be a potential therapeutic agent for specific types of dysphagia, but not universally applicable.
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