Effects of Respiration on Soft Palate Movement in Feeding

Abstract

Cyclic soft palate elevation is temporally associated with masticatory jaw movement. However, the soft palate is normally lowered during nasal breathing to maintain retropalatal airway patency. We tested the hypothesis that the frequency and amplitude of soft palate elevation associated with mastication would be reduced during inspiration. Movements of radiopaque soft palate markers were recorded by videofluorography while 11 healthy volunteers ate solid foods. Breathing was monitored with plethysmography. Masticatory sequences were divided into processing and stage II transport cycles (food transport to the oropharynx before swallowing). In food processing, palatal elevation was less frequent and its displacement was smaller during inspiration than expiration. In stage II transport, the soft palate was elevated less frequently during inspiration than expiration. These findings suggest that masticatory soft palate movement is diminished during inspiration. The control of breathing appears to have a significant effect on soft palate elevation in mastication.

Coordination of oro-pharyngeal food transport during chewing and respiratory phase

“…This soft palate elevation can also oppose respiration by narrowing the pharyngeal airway. Our previous study showed that this masticatory soft palate elevation is diminished during inspiration [21], probably due to its role in maintaining the retro-palatal airway during inspiration. These findings suggest that the control of breathing has a significant interaction with control of tongue and soft palate motion during mastication and stage II transport, as it does in swallowing.…”

Deglutição e consistências alimentares pastosas e sólidas: revisão crítica de literatura

“…To assess swallowing, studies variously use videofluoroscopy exams (5)(6)(7)11,14,18,19) , digital acoustic analysis of swallowing sounds (9,21) and surface electromyography (11) . The use of control groups and participants' ages also varied among the reviewed studies.…”

“…The authors suggested that aspiration is not a normal finding in VF exams of healthy subjects. A third experimental study (7) examined the effect of the respiratory phase on the soft palate movement during feeding. With the assumption that the elevation of the soft palate that is associated with mastication would be reduced during inspiration, the authors described how the respiratory phase is integrated with soft palate movement.…”

Video fluoroscopic techniques for the study of oral food processing

“…However, kinematic measures are simplified by attaching small radiopaque markers on the mucosal surface. This technique enables to trace the movements of the tongue or soft palate [5, 11–13]. In our previous studies, small lead discs (5-mm diameter) were used as the radiopaque markers, and were attached to the tooth surface with dental cement, and to the tongue surface with medical adhesive [14] (Fig.…”

“…The main feature of videofluoroscopic analysis is to assess the kinesiology of food bolus and oropharyngeal structures using temporal and spatial measurements. Moreover, synchronizing VFS with the other physiological assessments such as electromyography [3], manometry [4], respiratory measurements[5, 6](airflow or plethysmography), enables analysis of the integrated physiology of eating, drinking, swallowing, and breathing.…”