Laryngeal movement, oropharyngeal pressure, and submental muscle contraction during swallowing.

This study examined temporal relationships of laryngeal movement, oropharyngeal pressure and submental muscle contraction during swallowing. Techniques used to obtain the temporal measures were electroglottography (EGG), oropharyngeal manometry, and submental surface electromyography. Liquid bolus swallows were performed by 40 normal subjects evenly divided by young and elderly, men and women. Results of this investigation suggest that the EGG waveform is reflective of the temporal aspects of laryngeal movement during swallowing and that the EGG has potential as a behavioral modification technique in swallowing therapy. A case study is presented to illustrate the use of the electroglottograph for biofeedback.