Laryngeal Recalibration Therapy Improves Laryngopharyngeal Symptoms in Patients With Suspected Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Laryngopharyngeal symptoms such as cough, throat clearing, voice change, paradoxic vocal fold movement, or laryngospasm are hyper-responsive behaviors resulting from local irritation (e.g., refluxate) and heightened sympathetic tone. Laryngeal recalibration therapy (LRT) guided by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) provides mechanical desensitization and cognitive recalibration to suppress hyper-responsive laryngeal patterns. The aim of this study was to assess symptom response to LRT among patients with chronic laryngopharyngeal symptoms undergoing evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). METHODS: Adults with chronic laryngopharyngeal symptoms referred for evaluation of GERD to a single center were prospectively followed. Inclusion criteria included ≥2 SLP-directed LRT sessions. Data from endoscopy, ambulatory reflux monitoring, and patient-reported outcomes were collected when available. The primary outcome was symptom response. RESULTS: Sixty-five participants completed LRT: mean age 55.4 years (SD 17.2), 46 (71%) female, mean body mass index 25.6 kg/m 2 (6.8), and mean of 3.7 (1.9) LRT sessions. Overall, 55 participants (85%) met criteria for symptom response. Specifically, symptom response was similar between those with isolated laryngopharyngeal symptoms (13/15, 87%) and concomitant laryngopharyngeal/esophageal symptoms (42/50, 84%). Among participants who underwent reflux monitoring, symptom response was similar between those with proven, inconclusive for, and no GERD (18/21 [86%], 8/9 [89%], 10/13 [77%]). DISCUSSION: Eighty-five percent of patients with chronic laryngopharyngeal symptoms referred for GERD evaluation who underwent LRT-experienced laryngeal symptom response. Rates of symptom response were maintained across patients with or without proven GERD and patients with or without concomitant esophageal reflux symptoms. SLP-directed LRT is an effective approach to incorporate into multidisciplinary management of chronic laryngopharyngeal symptoms/laryngopharyngeal reflux disease.

Laryngeal clefts in Prader-Willi syndrome: Feeding difficulties and aspiration not always caused by hypotonia.

Feeding difficulties, aspiration, and failure to thrive in infancy are commonly seen in patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) and attributed to hypotonia. Patients with PWS and laryngeal clefts were identified by review of medical records at three tertiary care children's hospitals between 2017 and 2022. We present three patients with PWS with feeding difficulties who were also found to have laryngeal clefts which likely contributed to their feeding difficulties. Additional factors such as airway anomalies should be considered in patients with PWS, especially when swallowing dysfunction, dysphagia, or abnormal swallow evaluations are present.

Sleep apnea patients with epiglottic collapse elevate their larynx more with swallowing; videofluoroscopic swallowing study of 80 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The epiglottis plays an integral role in the swallowing mechanism and is also implicated as an obstruction site in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The underlying causes of epiglottic collapse during sleep remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the cognitive functions using the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) and the neurophysiological and anatomical factors using videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS). We compared patients with OSA exhibiting epiglottic collapse to those without, assessing differences in anatomical or neurophysiological characteristics. METHODS: The study included 12 patients with epiglottic collapse (Epi-group) and 68 without (non-Epi group), all undergoing overnight polysomnography (PSG), drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), LOTCA, and VFSS. Oral transit time (OTT), pharyngeal delay time (PDT), and pharyngeal transit time (PTT) were considered as neurophysiological traits, and laryngeal elevation length (LE) as anatomical trait, and were measured across various test diets (10 ml of liquid, soft, or solid). RESULTS: The study comprised 80 individuals, 57 men and 23 women, with no significant age, sex, body mass index or PSG parameters between groups, or DISE findings, with the exception of epiglottic collapse. Swallowing metrics from VFSS were normal, with no differences in OTT, PDT, PTT, or LOTCA scores. Notably, patients with epiglottic collapse showed a greater laryngeal elevation when swallowing soft and solid foods (p = 0.025 and p = 0.048, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with epiglottic collapse do not exhibit neurophysiological or cognitive impairments when compared to non-Epi group. However, the Epi-group displayed a significantly increased laryngeal elevation length. This suggests that anatomical factors may have a more substantial role in the development of epiglottic collapse than neurophysiological factors.

Swallowing improvement surgeries.

PURPOSE: To discuss the different swallowing improvement surgeries that address one or more dysfunctional pharyngolaryngeal structures causing dysphagia. These surgeries reduce the risk of aspiration without sacrificing vocal function. METHODS: We searched the PubMed database and used Google Scholar search engine to find studies discussing the different swallowing improvement surgeries. A manual search of references in selected articles and reviews was done as well. No chronologic limitation was set for the studies; however, only articles written in English and Japanese were considered. Due to the nature of this article, no particular inclusion or exclusion criteria were set when searching for studies to be used as references; however, all relevant studies were reviewed and agreed upon by the authors for inclusion in this review article. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Surgeries to improve swallowing function can be categorized into those that reinforce nasopharyngeal closure or pharyngeal contraction, improve laryngeal elevation or pharyngoesophageal segment opening, and those that improve vocal fold closure to protect the airway during swallowing. They are an effective alternative treatment that may significantly improve these patients' quality of life. Swallowing rehabilitation with the altered pharyngolaryngeal structures is required post-operatively to significantly improve patients' dysphagia. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeries to improve swallowing function address specific dysfunctional sites involved in the swallowing mechanism. Choosing the most appropriate surgery for each patient requires knowledge of the pathophysiology for their dysphagia and detailed pre-operative work-up.

Swallowing outcomes after tracheal resection and anastomosis: full versus mini infrahyoid laryngeal drop.

INTRODUCTION: Tracheal resection anastomosis has been established as the definitive surgery for high grade postintubation subglottic stenosis. To achieve a relaxed tension-free anastomosis, various laryngeal release techniques were discussed in literature with potential effect on postoperative swallowing dysfunction. This study aims to compare the difference in swallowing outcomes following two methods of infrahyoid laryngeal release: with and without fracture of the superior thyroid horns. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was carried out at our tertiary referral hospitals including cases with grade III and IV subglottic stenosis treated by partial crico-tracheal resection with thyro-tracheal anastomosis. The patients were divided into two groups according to the method used in laryngeal release; mini infrahyoid release (group A) or infrahyoid full release (group B) where full means with fracture of the superior thyroid horn bilaterally while mini means their preservation. Swallowing assessment preoperatively and postoperatively was done by comparing swallowing dysfunction symptoms, Gugging swallowing screen (GUSS) score and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) according to penetration aspiration scale (PAS). RESULTS: A total of 71 patients were included; 46 in Group A and 25 in Group B. Clinical swallowing evaluation one week postoperatively showed statistically significant difference between the two groups being affected in 80.04% and 100% of patients in group A and B, respectively. The mean postoperative GUSS were 18 ± 1.32 in group A patients in comparison to 8.84 ± 5.18 in group B (p-value < 0.001). With FEES assessment, group A had full improvement of their swallowing abilities one month after the surgery while patients in group B had significantly lower PAS scores. Unfavourable scores for both the GUSS test and PAS were associated with increasing patients' age in group B. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective cohort study, cases with mini infrahyoid laryngeal release had significantly better swallowing outcomes and full resolution of dysphagia in comparison to full laryngeal release. Also, full laryngeal release is associated with delayed resolution of swallowing difficulty in older patients. This point should be considered during preoperative patient selection and counselling.

Long-term effects on swallowing and laryngeal function after treatment for severe COVID-19 disease in intensive care.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess swallowing and laryngeal function at long-term follow-up in patients treated for severe COVID-19 in the ICU. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with severe COVID-19 were prospectively examined with fiberendoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) about 6 and 12 months after ICU discharge. Comparison with initial FEES examinations during the time in hospital was performed in 17 patients. Analysis of swallowing function and laryngeal features was performed from video recordings. Twenty-five participants responded to Eating Assessment Tool, Voice Handicap Index, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at follow-up. RESULTS: Penetration to the laryngeal vestibule (PAS ≥ 3) was seen in 22% and silent aspiration (PAS = 8) in 11% of patients on at least one swallow at follow-up. Fourteen percent had obvious residue in the vallecula and/or pyriform sinuses after swallowing thick liquid or biscuits. Self-reported eating and swallowing difficulties were found in 40% of patients. Abnormal findings in the larynx were present in 53% at follow-up. Thirty-three percent had reduced or impaired vocal fold movement, of whom 22% had bilateral impaired abduction of the vocal folds. Possible anxiety and depression were found in 36% and 24% of responders, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although a majority of patients appear to regain normal swallowing function by 1 year after treatment for severe COVID-19, our results indicate that dysphagia, abnormal laryngeal function, and anxiety/depression may remain in a substantial proportion of patients. This suggests that swallowing and laryngeal function, and emotional symptoms, should be followed up systematically over time in this patient group.

[Diagnosis of benign laryngeal tumors using neural network]. / Diagnostika dobrokachestvennykh novoobrazovanii gortani s primeneniem neiroseti.

The article describes our experience in developing and training an artificial neural network based on artificial intelligence algorithms for recognizing the characteristic features of benign laryngeal tumors and variants of the norm of the larynx based on the analysis of laryngoscopy pictures obtained during the examination of patients. During the preparation of data for training the neural network, a dataset was collected, labeled and loaded, consisting of 1471 images of the larynx in digital formats (jpg, bmp). Next, the neural network was trained and tested in order to recognize images of the norm and neoplasms of the larynx. The developed and trained artificial neural network demonstrated an accuracy of 86% in recognizing of benign laryngeal tumors and variants of the norm of the larynx. The proposed technology can be further used in practical healthcare to control and improve the quality of diagnosis of laryngeal pathologies.

[A clinical case of successful treatment of an air cyst of the larynx]. / Klinicheskii sluchai uspeshnogo lecheniya vozdushnoi kisty gortani.

Laryngeal air cyst (laryngocele) is a rare disease that is an abnormal cystic expansion of the deep structures of the laryngeal ventricle. They can be accompanied by serious complaints, such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing during exercise, as well as at rest with large cysts. Computed tomography is the most effective method for determining the type, localization and degree of laryngocele. Although surgical treatment is considered the method of choice in cases of laryngeal air cyst, the approach significantly depends on the size of the lesion.

Targeting the sensory feedback within the swallowing network-Reversing artificially induced pharyngolaryngeal hypesthesia by central and peripheral stimulation strategies.

Pharyngolaryngeal hypesthesia is a major reason for dysphagia in various neurological diseases. Emerging neuromodulation devices have shown potential to foster dysphagia rehabilitation, but the optimal treatment strategy is unknown. Because functional imaging studies are difficult to conduct in severely ill patients, we induced a virtual sensory lesion in healthy volunteers and evaluated the effects of central and peripheral neurostimulation techniques. In a sham-controlled intervention study with crossover design on 10 participants, we tested the potential of (peripheral) pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) and (central) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to revert the effects of lidocaine-induced pharyngolaryngeal hypesthesia on central sensorimotor processing. Changes were observed during pharyngeal air-pulse stimulation and voluntary swallowing applying magnetoencephalography before and after the interventions. PES induced a significant (p < .05) increase of activation during swallowing in the bihemispheric sensorimotor network in alpha and low gamma frequency ranges, peaking in the right premotor and left primary sensory area, respectively. With pneumatic stimulation, significant activation increase was found after PES in high gamma peaking in the left premotor area. Significant changes of brain activation after tDCS could neither be detected for pneumatic stimulation nor for swallowing. Due to the peripheral cause of dysphagia in this model, PES was able to revert the detrimental effects of reduced sensory input on central processing, whereas tDCS was not. Results may have implications for therapeutic decisions in the clinical context.

Relations between body mass index, laryngeal fat pads, and laryngeal airway configuration in adult men population.

BACKGROUND: The impact of body mass index (BMI) on pharyngeal fat pads has been well studied, yet no study has assessed its associations on laryngeal morphology. OBJECTIVES: To study the associations of BMI differences on laryngeal morphology in adult males using computed tomography angiography (CTA) scans. METHODS: All adult male patients who underwent head and neck CTAs between 2011 and 2018 were initially included and categorized according to their BMI: (1) BMI < 20; (2) 20 ≤ BMI < 25; (3) 25 ≤ BMI < 30; (4) 30 ≤ BMI < 35; and (5) BMI ≥ 35. Anatomical measurements included pre-epiglottic and paraglottic fat-pad dimensions, airway width at the epiglottis tip and base, and epiglottis angle. For statistical analysis, BMI was regarded both as a categorical and continuous variable. RESULTS: One hundred and five scans were included. BMI ranged from 15.90 to 44.40 kg/m2. Significant differences were found in pre-epiglottic and paraglottic fat measurements between BMI subgroups 1-5 (Pre-epiglottic fat depth: 17.75, 17.74, 19.04, 20.73, and 21.09 mm, respectively, P = 0.005, correlation 0.343, and P < 0.001 in continuous measurement; Paraglottic space average width: 3.5, 5.4, 5.46, 6.85, and 7.38 mm, P < 0.001, correlation 0.532, and P < 0.001 in continuous measurement). As BMI increased, the epiglottis-hard-palate angle increased (56.4°, 55.3°, 65.2°, 64°, and 68.4°, P = 0.001, correlation 0.354, and P < 0.001 in continuous measurement). No significant difference was found in airway width between subgroups at the epiglottis tip or base. Yet, in continuous variables analysis, a significant negative correlation was found between BMI scores and the airway width at the epiglottis base (-0.226, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In adult males, BMI is correlated with laryngeal fat-pad volume, affecting its morphology and airway width. Clinical implications regarding obstructive sleep apnea and voice quality should be further investigated.

Vocal fold injection material does not preclude interpretation of laryngeal electromyography.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Temporary vocal fold injection (VFI) is a common treatment for acute and subacute vocal fold paralysis (VFP). Laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) is useful for diagnosing neurogenic causes of VFP. This study evaluated whether the presence of VFI material prevents interpretation of LEMG in patients with acute and subacute VFP. METHODS: Patients with acute and subacute unilateral VFP (onset ≤6 mo) who underwent temporary VFI within 3 mo preceding LEMG were evaluated. A matched control group that did not undergo VFI was also studied. The LEMG team (laryngologist and electromyographer) performed and interpreted LEMG using a pre-specified protocol, including qualitative and quantitative motor unit analysis. RESULTS: Eighteen patients with VFI underwent LEMG successfully with interpretation of spontaneous activity and motor unit recruitment. Fourteen patients were seen in follow-up to determine accuracy of established LEMG prognosis. Seven of seven subjects with poor LEMG prognosis did not recover vocal fold motion. Five of seven subjects with fair LEMG prognosis recovered vocal fold motion. Findings were similar for the control group. DISCUSSION: VFI augmentation material did not prevent interpretation of meaningful LEMG data in patients with acute and subacute VFP, and accurate prognoses of vocal fold motion recovery were established.

Laryngeal Injury and Upper Airway Symptoms After Endotracheal Intubation During Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Laryngeal injury from intubation can substantially impact airway, voice, and swallowing, thus necessitating multidisciplinary interventions. The goals of this systematic review were (1) to review the types of laryngeal injuries and their patient-reported symptoms and clinical signs resulting from endotracheal intubation in patients intubated for surgeries and (2) to better understand the overall the frequency at which these injuries occur. We conducted a search of 4 online bibliographic databases (ie, PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and The Cochrane Library) and ProQuest and Open Access Thesis Dissertations (OPTD) from database inception to September 2019 without restrictions for language. Studies that completed postextubation laryngeal examinations with visualization in adult patients who were endotracheally intubated for surgeries were included. We excluded (1) retrospective studies, (2) case studies, (3) preexisting laryngeal injury/disease, (4) patients with histories of or surgical interventions that risk injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, (5) conference abstracts, and (6) patient populations with nonfocal, neurological impairments that may impact voice and swallowing function, thus making it difficult to identify isolated postextubation laryngeal injury. Independent, double-data extraction, and risk of bias assessment followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Cochrane Collaboration's criteria. Twenty-one articles (1 cross-sectional, 3 cohort, 5 case series, 12 randomized controlled trials) representing 21 surgical studies containing 6140 patients met eligibility criteria. The mean patient age across studies reporting age was 49 (95% confidence interval [CI], 45-53) years with a mean intubation duration of 132 (95% CI, 106-159) minutes. Studies reported no injuries in 80% (95% CI, 69-88) of patients. All 21 studies presented on type of injury. Edema was the most frequently reported mild injury, with a prevalence of 9%-84%. Vocal fold hematomas were the most frequently reported moderate injury, with a prevalence of 4% (95% CI, 2-10). Severe injuries that include subluxation of the arytenoids and vocal fold paralysis are rare (<1%) outcomes. The most prevalent patient complaints postextubation were dysphagia (43%), pain (38%), coughing (32%), a sore throat (27%), and hoarseness (27%). Overall, laryngeal injury from short-duration surgical intubation is common and is most often mild. No uniform guidelines for laryngeal assessment postextubation from surgery are available and hoarseness is neither a good indicator of laryngeal injury or dysphagia. Protocolized screening for dysphonia and dysphagia postextubation may lead to improved identification of injury and, therefore, improved patient outcomes and reduced health care utilization.

Lightwand-Guided Insertion of Flexible Reinforced Laryngeal Mask Airway: Comparison with Standard Digital Manipulation Insertion.

BACKGROUND The flexibility of the long flexometallic tube makes insertion of the flexible reinforced laryngeal mask airway (f-LMA) difficult. We compared the usefulness of rigid lightwand-guided f-LMA insertion with standard digital manipulation. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty-four patients (aged 19-70 years) were randomly divided into a control group (digital manipulation technique) or the lightwand group (lightwand-guided insertion technique). The insertion profiles, oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), expiratory tidal volume, and ventilatory score were measured in patients with neutral, extension, rotation, flexion, and re-neutral head-neck positions in turn. RESULTS The success rate and ease of insertion did not differ between groups, but the insertion time was longer in the lightwand group. The fiberoptic laryngeal view was significantly better in the lightwand group than in the control group. However, the OLP, PIP, expiratory tidal volume, and ventilatory scores were not significantly different between groups according to head-neck positions. The extension posture was associated with a significant negative effect on ventilation, but ventilation returned to initial levels with the other postures. CONCLUSIONS Lightwand-guided f-LMA insertion showed a better fiberoptic laryngeal view than standard digital manipulation, but no improvement in the ventilatory state was observed due to position. Therefore, lightwand-guided insertion could facilitate correct placement of the f-LMA, but it has limited clinical usefulness.

Endoscopic evaluation of pharyngeal and laryngeal sensation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare the findings of endoscopic sensory assessment in COPD patients and healthy controls. DESIGN: A prospective cross-sectional study. SETTING: Otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic at a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: 27 adults with COPD and 11 age-matched healthy controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Group differences in light touch endoscopic tests of pharyngeal and laryngeal sensation, controlling for pooled salivary secretions in the pharynx and laryngo-pharyngeal reflux as measured by the Reflux Finding Score (RFS). RESULTS: A significant difference in laryngeal sensation was found between the study groups (P = .047), with reduced laryngeal sensation in the COPD patients. Additionally, a significant relationship was found between impaired oropharyngeal sensation and the presence of pooled salivary secretions in the pharynx (P = .018), especially in the pyriform sinuses (P = .012). No differences in the frequency of abnormal RFSs were found between groups. CONCLUSION: Individuals with COPD were significantly more likely to present with impaired laryngeal sensation. Additionally, impaired sensation in the oropharynx was associated with pooled salivary secretions in the pharynx.

Severe late dysphagia after multimodal treatment of stage III/IV laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Long-term side effects after radiotherapy for organ preservation 'could deteriorate' the laryngeal function. This study intended to identify the incidence of severe late dysphagia following the multimodal treatment for stage III/IV laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer 'to evaluate the function of larynx'. METHODS: The medical records of patients successfully treated for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer with a multimodal approach, including radiotherapy, were retrospectively analyzed. 'Functional larynx was defined as tolerable oral diet without severe late dysphagia or tracheostoma'. RESULTS: The study included 99 patients with a median follow-up period of 72 months. 'Tracheostomy during the follow-up period was required in only one patient due to aspiration pneumonia, and dysphagia is the main determinant for functional larynx'. The probability of maintaining functional larynx was 63% for 10 years, when the treatment was started with radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy. In upfront surgery (operation first and adjuvant radiotherapy/concurrent chemoradiotherapy) group, 37% of patients required total laryngectomy as primary treatment and 43% of patients could maintain laryngeal function for 10 years. And severe late dysphagia in the latter group developed mainly after laryngeal preservation surgery. The patients aged ≥65 years showed significantly higher incidence of dysphagia. Severe late dysphagia was very rare in laryngeal cancer successfully cured with radiotherapy/concurrent chemoradiotherapy (1/25, 4%); however, it gradually increased over time in hypopharyngeal cancer patients showing a statistically significant difference from laryngeal cancer patients (P = 0.040). CONCLUSION: Severe late dysphagia occurred in 19.2% of patients treated for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers, regardless of whether treatment started with radiotherapy/concurrent chemoradiotherapy or surgery.

Temporal and Sequential Analysis of the Pharyngeal Phase of Swallowing in Poststroke Patients.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a quantitative analysis of the temporal and sequential events of the pharyngeal phase of swallowing in 45 poststroke patients who presented or did not present with supraglottic penetration and/or laryngotracheal aspiration and to compare the groups with each other and to a group of 46 patients with normal swallowing. All individuals were assessed by videofluoroscopy and the temporal and sequential measures for the swallowing of 3 mL and 5 mL of thickened liquid, 3 mL of liquid, and 3 mL and 5 mL of pasty were obtained by analyzing the recorded exams on Virtual Dub software. The following events were measured: time of maximal displacement and sustaining of the hyoid and larynx, duration of velopharyngeal sphincter (VS) and supraglottic closure, total inversion time of the epiglottis, duration of pharyngeal constriction, and duration of upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening. For the analysis of the temporal sequence, the initial time of larynx and hyoid elevation, VS closure, epiglottic inversion, supraglottic closure, pharyngeal constriction, and opening of the UES were obtained. For 5 mL of thickened liquid, the maximum hyoid elevation time was greater for patients with normal swallowing and the time the supraglottis remained closed was higher in the aspirators group. The time of pharyngeal constriction during swallowing of 3 mL of thickened liquid was lower in the aspirators group. During the swallowing of 3 mL of thin liquid, it was observed that in the aspirators group, the larynx took longer to reach its maximum elevation and the epiglottis took longer to complete its total inversion. The analysis of the temporal sequence showed that patients in the aspirators group presented greater disorganization with significant alteration of the time interval between the events.

Reduced Coordination of Hyolaryngeal Elevation and Bolus Movement in a Pig Model of Preterm Infant Swallowing.

Preterm infants often have dysphagia. Because reducing lifetime cumulative exposure to radiation in the context of diagnosis and treatment is a continuing goal of all medical fields which use X-ray imaging, efforts exist to reduce reliance on the gold standard diagnostic tool for dysphagia, VFSS. Alternatives, such as video of external hyolaryngeal movement using video recordings of the anterior surface of the neck, must be evaluated and validated against videofluoroscopy, a task for which non-human animal models are appropriate. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that (1) swallows could be identified equally well from video of external hyolaryngeal movement and bolus movement in videofluoroscopy, and that (2) the two measures would be tightly temporally linked in both term and preterm infant pigs. We recorded 222 swallows in simultaneous and precisely synchronized high-speed videofluoroscopy and high-speed camera films of 4 preterm and 3 term infant pigs drinking milk from a bottle. In term pigs, the two measures consistently identified the same swallows in each image stream. However, in preterm pigs there was a high rate of false positives (~ 10% per feeding sequence) and false negatives (~ 27% per feeding sequence). The timing of hyolaryngeal elevation (external video) and bolus movement (videofluoroscopy) was correlated and consistent in terms pigs, but not in preterm pigs. Magnitude of hyolaryngeal elevation was less in preterm pig swallows than term pig swallows. Absence of epiglottal inversion in preterm pigs was not linked to variation in the timing of the two swallow events. Video of external hyolaryngeal movement, though a reliable swallow indicator in term infant pigs, was unreliable in preterm infant pigs. The coordination of swallowing events differs in preterm and term infant pigs. More research is needed into the distinctive biomechanics of preterm infant pigs.

Impaired Movement Scaling and Reduced Synchrony with Vestibule Closure Characterize Swallowing in Severe Dysphagia.

The contribution of hyoid and laryngeal movement deficits to penetration or aspiration in dysphagia is unclear, partly due to large variations in normal hyolaryngeal kinematics for swallowing. In healthy volunteers, laryngeal and hyoid kinematics relate to the requirements for laryngeal vestibule closure suggesting a central schematic control of movement magnitude and patterning for airway protection. Our first aim was to determine if patients with severe dysphagia showed evidence of an impaired swallowing schema, by examining if their kinematic measures were related to their hyolaryngeal space before swallow onset, and if hyolaryngeal movement synchrony for vestibule closure was disrupted. Our second aim was to determine the kinematic measures that predicted bolus penetration and aspiration in dysphagia. The methods included two-dimensional measures of the hyoid and laryngeal anterior and superior displacement and velocity, and the change in laryngeal vestibule area made from videofluoroscopic swallow recordings of 21 healthy volunteers and 21 patients with dysphagia on tube feeding secondary to the stroke or head and neck cancer. The results demonstrated that the patients did not adapt their hyolaryngeal movements during swallowing to their initial hyolaryngeal space. Further, none of the patients' measures of hyoid or laryngeal peak velocity timing were synchronized with vestibule closure, demonstrating a disorganized movement patterning. Laryngeal elevation peak velocity independently predicted penetration and aspiration. In conclusion, the central schema for swallowing patterning was disturbed, impairing the integration of kinematic actions for airway protection in severe dysphagia, while laryngeal peak elevation velocity predicted penetration and aspiration on patient swallows.

Objective Assessment of Postoperative Swallowing Difficulty Through Ultrasound in Patients Undergoing Thyroidectomy.

Swallowing discomfort is a common postoperative complaint in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Contraction of the strap muscles might cause resistance to elevation of the laryngotracheal unit, and downward movement of the laryngotracheal unit may lead to swallowing discomfort. However, few studies have evaluated the mechanism related to limited laryngotracheal elevation after thyroidectomy. We aimed to objectively verify the presence of postoperative impaired laryngotracheal elevation through ultrasound evaluation in patients undergoing thyroidectomy and evaluate its relationship with limitation of laryngotracheal elevation. This is a prospective clinical study. Among patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy and total thyroidectomy, the patients who were followed up for ≥ 6 months were selected (N = 40). Ultrasound evaluation was done preoperatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Laryngotracheal movement was recorded and the length of elevation was measured. Symptom after thyroidectomy was evaluated through swallowing-related items of thyroidectomy-related voice questionnaire. Ultrasound evaluation verified the presence of limited laryngotracheal elevation postoperatively in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. After thyroidectomy, the swallowing-related score was significantly increased, and was recovered time-dependently at 1 month. Laryngotracheal elevation showed significant decrease after thyroidectomy. The symptom score of swallowing was significantly correlated with the length of laryngotracheal elevation. Post-thyroidectomy ultrasound evaluation verified that laryngotracheal elevation was significantly impaired. Presence of adhesion between the laryngotracheal unit and the superficial soft tissue was the probable cause of the limitation at 6 months after thyroidectomy. The length of laryngotracheal elevation was related to the symptom score of swallowing after thyroid surgery.

Objective bilateral tinnitus from palatal nystagmus. Audio and video features of a rare case of palatal myoclonus.

Tinnitus is one of the most represented otological symptom, affecting 15% of adults, worldwide. Literature describes subjective tinnitus when it's perceived by the patient only, and objective tinnitus when it's heard both, by patient and examiner. An objective tinnitus can be caused by a large variety of anomalies and diseases; one of them is Palatal Myoclonus, characterized by rhytmic movements of soft palatal muscles and, only occasionally, involving other near districts. Case presentation. We observed a rare case of essential palatal myoclonus in a 54 y.o. female, suffering from chronic objective bilateral tinnitus, since 35 years, who underwent a wide number of clinical evaluations over the years, without receiving any conclusive diagnosis. In this video, we illustrate all the districts involved in clonic movements: soft palate, larynx and nasal wings. At the same time, we report the spectrographic analysis of tinnitus, recorded in esternal ear canal, taken together with the muscle movements. Palatal Myoclonus has to be considered in the etiological diagnosis of each objective tinnitus and should always be investigated properly.