PHYSIOLOGY OF ORAL SWALLOWING STUDIED BY ULTRASONOGRAPHY

The aim of the study was to identify a number of sonographic landmarks in the evaluation of the oral phase of swallowing. Forty non-dysphagi c adults (average age 38 years) and 20 normal bottle-fed newborns (ave rage age 13 days) were submitted to videorecorded sonographic examinat ion using two types of transducers (5 and 7.5 MHz). The adults were as ked to swallow a 20 ml bolus of water and the newborns were examined w hile sucking from a bottle containing milk. Preliminary transverse sca ns of the neck were obtained to evaluate laryngeal movements during sw allowing. The mouth was examined through the submental window using sa gittal and coronal scans. In the newborn, additional transbuccal scans were employed. In both adults and newborns highly significant and rep roducible images of single-element motor events involved in swallowing were obtained. Normal sonographic images of the oral stage of degluti tion form the baseline from which abnormal patterns may then be recogn ized.