Correlation of ultrasound imaging of oral swallow with ventilatory alterations in cerebral palsied and normal children: preliminary observations.

Preliminary results of an investigation that synchronizes the videotaped output of ultrasound camera and the analog data from physiological measurements of swallowing and ventilation in normal and cerebral palsied (CP) children are presented. Four cerebral palsied children and three control children undertook a single sip-swallow of 5 ml of liquid and a solid mastication-swallow sequence on three occasions according to a defined protocol. The CP children exhibited much more variability and less control of the liquid bolus than did the controls. The ultrasound image clearly demonstrates the lack of control of the posterior of the tongue in many CP children. Some parts of the sequence of oral swallow and the time to achieve maximum anterior displacement of the hyoid bone appear to be slowed. The sequential events of swallowing show less variability as the sip-swallow proceeds from the oral voluntary to pharyngeal and lower involuntary phases. This study also identified a short-latency apnea that appears to accompany a saliva (protective) swallow and a long-latency apnea that accompanies semi-solid or liquid bolus (alimentary) swallows. Further investigations of normal and CP children utilizing a combined diagnostic imaging-physiological measurement approach will follow this initial study.