Effects of chin-up posture on the sequence of swallowing events

Irene Calvo*, Kirstyn L. Sunday, Phoebe Macrae, Ianessa A. Humbert

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Chin-up posture is frequently used to manage oral dysphagia after head and neck cancer. This prospective study investigates the effects of chin-ups on the sequence of pharyngeal swallowing events. Methods: Twelve healthy young adults performed 45 consecutive swallows of 5 mL water across 3 phases on videofluoroscopy: 5 swallows in the neutral head position; 30 swallows during chin-up posture; and 10 swallows in the neutral head position. Swallowing kinematic and bolus flow measures for 9 swallowing events were recorded. Linear trends were analyzed across 30 chin-up swallows; pairwise comparison was used to compare the 3 phases. Results: Time to hyoid peak and laryngeal vestibule closure changed abruptly during chin-up swallowing compared to the initial neutral position. No measure changed across 30 chin-up swallows. Time of hyoid burst decreased upon returning to the neutral position. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that chin-up posture challenges the pharyngeal sequence of events for both swallowing kinematics and bolus flow.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)947-959
Number of pages13
JournalHead and Neck
Volume39
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2017

Keywords

  • adaptation
  • chin-up
  • dysphagia
  • head and neck cancer
  • swallowing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Otorhinolaryngology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Effects of chin-up posture on the sequence of swallowing events'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this