The purpose of this research is to understand the normal function of swallowing and respiratory muscles in order to establish normal parameters. This will allow us to compare normal physiology and function of swallowing and breathing muscles to people with a medical history that would put them at risk for a swallowing problem. Our goal is to identify the best tests that can be quickly and easily administered to accurately detect swallowing impairment in adults. Involvement is limited to a single 2-hour evaluation.
The purpose of this research is to understand the normal function of swallowing and respiratory muscles in order to establish normal parameters. It will take approximately 90-120 minutes to complete. During this examination, you will have respiratory testing, cough testing, lingual testing, voice testing, and will be asked to fill out some surveys. We will then complete the swallowing test that uses both a moving x-ray and a small camera will be inserted into the open passage of your nose to the back of your throat to watch your swallow and look at your vocal folds (voice box). This will allow us to compare normal physiology and function of swallowing and breathing muscles to people with a medical history that would put them at risk for a swallowing problem. Our goal is to identify the best tests that can be quickly and easily administered to accurately detect swallowing impairment in adults. Your involvement is limited to a single 2-hour evaluation.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
46
This procedure involves inserting a flexible laryngoscope that contains a light source and video camera on the end through the open passage of the nose towards the back of the throat in order to visualize the swallowing mechanism.
Videofluoroscopic swallowing study will be performed to measure oropharyngeal swallowing. This is like a moving x-ray of the swallow.
Voluntary peak cough flow testing will be performed to determine the peak expiratory flow (PEF) and volume of air expelled (FEV1) during voluntary coughing.
University of Florida Health
Gainesville, Florida, United States
Penetration Aspiration Scale
Validated swallowing safety measurement that is an eight-point ordinal scale to indicate the depth of airway invasion during swallowing and the associated response. A minimum score of 1 would be no airway invasion, to a maximum score of 8 being airway invasion with no effort to expel the tracheal matter. Therefore, the lower the score, the better the outcome.
Time frame: Baseline
Yale Residue Severity Rating Scale
Validated measure of swallowing efficiency using a validated anatomically defined and image-based assessment of post-swallow pharyngeal residue severity. Clinical uses include accurate classification of vallecula and pyriform sinus residue severity patterns as none, trace, mild, moderate, or severe for diagnostic purposes, determination of functional therapeutic change, and precise dissemination of shared information.
Time frame: Baseline
Vocal Fold Mobility Impairment
During a Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), the vocal folds will be visualized using a small camera passed through the open nasal passage. The patient will be asked to make a series of vocal tasks so that we can visualize their movement, any immobility will be notated.
Time frame: Baseline
Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity (DIGEST)
5-point ordinal scale used to rate both the safety and efficiency of swallowing trials. For efficiency, the minimal score of 0 means residue is less than 10%, the maximal score of 4 means there is more than 90% of residue across trials. For safety a minimal score of 0 means no airway invasion, and a maximal score of 4 means there was chronic and gross amounts of food or liquids that were aspirated. Therefore, the lower the scores, the better the outcomes.
Time frame: Baseline
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) is a device that measures the peak pressure performance of lingual strength and endurance via the action of a bulb placed on the hard palate.
A capsaicin challenge with three randomized blocks of 0, 50, 100, 200, and 500 μM capsaicin. The capsaicin will be dissolved in a vehicle solution consisting of 80% physiological saline, and 20% ethanol. Participants will be given the instruction "cough if you need to" prior to capsaicin delivery.The solution will be administered automatically upon detection of an inspired breath and there will be a minimum of one minute between each trial. This is to test the reflexive cough testing for upper airway sensitivity and motor thresholds.
Pulmonary Function testing will be performed using conventional methods and will include the following outcomes: forced vital capacity (FVC), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) expressed as a percentage of predicted values.
Voicing tasks will be completed to assess vocal ability.