Date of Award
2008
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Supervisor
Ruth Martin
Abstract
This series of studies examined the effects of oropharyngeal air-pulse stimulation on saliva swallowing. The first study sought to determine whether air-pulse trains delivered to the peritonsillar area facilitate swallowing in healthy young adult subjects. Trains of unilateral, or bilateral, air pulses were delivered to the peritonsillar area while swallows were simultaneously identified from their associated laryngeal and respiratory
movements. Results in four subjects indicated that oropharyngeal air-pulse stimulation evoked an irrepressible urge to swallow, followed by an overt swallow as verified by laryngeal and respiratory movements. In addition, air-pulse stimulation was associated with a significant increase in saliva swallowing frequency.
The second experiment examined the effects of oropharyngeal air-pulse stimulation on saliva swallowing in healthy older adults. Saliva swallowing rates were monitored across six conditions: baseline without mouthpiece, baseline with mouthpiece in situ, unilateral right oropharyngeal stimulation, unilateral left oropharyngeal stimulation, bilateral oropharyngeal stimulation, and sham stimulation. Results indicated that the bilateral oropharyngeal air-pulse stimulation condition was associated with a statistically significant increase in mean saliva swallowing rate compared to the baseline without mouthpiece, baseline with mouthpiece in situ, and sham stimulation conditions. In contrast to the perception by young adults of an irrepressible urge to swallow in response to oropharyngeal air-pulse delivery, the older adults did not perceive the air
pulse stimulation as being associated with swallowing or other percept. These findings suggest that the facilitatory effect of oropharyngeal air-pulse stimulation on saliva swallowing may be robust across the adult age span.
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The third study evaluated the effects of oropharyngeal air-pulse stimulation on saliva swallowing frequency in hemispheric stroke using a single-subject research design. Visual analysis indicated that four of the eight subjects demonstrated increased saliva swallowing rates in association with bilateral oropharyngeal stimulation compared to baseline saliva swallowing rates. Descriptive analysis of subject demographics was conducted to identify participant and stroke-related features related to various air-pulse
response patterns. Future research is required to elucidate the swallowing impairment profiles for which oropharyngeal air-pulse stimulation affects swallowing, and to determine whether oropharyngeal air-pulse stimulation can enhance recovery of swallowing function secondary to hemispheric stroke.
Recommended Citation
Theurer, Julie A., "INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF OROPHARYNGEAL SENSORY STIMULATION ON SWALLOWING" (2008). Digitized Theses. 4849.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4849