AGE-RELATED-CHANGES IN PHARYNGEAL AND SUPRAGLOTTIC SENSATION

As one ages, sensory discrimination in the oral cavity progressively d iminishes, and dysphagia and aspiration are more likely to occur. Whet her similar age-related laryngeal and pharyngeal sensory abnormalities exist and contribute to dysphagia and aspiration is unknown. The purp ose of this study was to determine if sensory discrimination in the ar ea innervated by the superior laryngeal nerve diminishes with increasi ng age. By applying a previously described new device and technique th at utilizes brief air pulse stimulation of the anterior wall of the py riform sinus, sensory discrimination can be reliably determined. We ca rried out 672 trials in 56 healthy adults divided into three age group s: 20 to 40, 41 to 60, and 61 to 90 years of age. Overall, the average sensory discrimination was 2.30 +/- 0.50 mm Hg. In subjects 20 to 40 years of age, sensory discrimination was 2.07 +/- 0.20 mm Hg, while in subjects 61 to 90 years of age, sensory discrimination was 2.68 +/- 0 .63 mm Hg (p < .05). There also was a statistically significant differ ence between the 41- to 60-year and 61- to 90-year age groups (p < .05 ). Progressive diminution in pharyngeal and supraglottic sensitivity w ith increasing age might be a contributing factor in the development o f dysphagia and aspiration in the elderly.