J Korean Dysphagia Soc.
2024 Jan;14(1):31-40. 10.34160/jkds.23.022.
Temporal Characteristics of Oropharyngeal Swallowing in Young Children with Dysphagia
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Graduate School of Health and Sciences, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Korea
- 2Department of Communication Sciences and Disorder, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
- 3Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ewha Woman’s University Seoul Hospital, Ewha Woman’s University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- 4Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- KMID: 2559392
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.34160/jkds.23.022
Abstract
Objective
Aspiration is a major concern for children with dysphagia because aspiration has been known as the primary etiology leading to recurrent pneumonia, and severe impairment of lung function in pediatric populations. This study aimed to examine the differences in each temporal measure between children with and without aspiration and investigate the effect of bolus consistency on the temporal measures.
Methods
Forty-two children ranging in age from 1 year to 3 years and 11 months were included in this study. A referral for a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) was made. They were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of aspiration. Sixteen children were aspirators, and twenty-six children were non-aspirators. Oropharyngeal temporal measures were analyzed using frame-by-frame analysis.
Results
The delayed initiation of pharyngeal swallowing, delayed laryngeal closure, and poor bolus transition in the pharyngeal stage were associated with the risk of aspiration in children with dysphagia. The bolus consistency did not affect the oropharyngeal temporal measures.
Conclusion
The objective temporal data in this study, including the durations and onset of physiological events in relation to bolus movement, can be used for future research to compare the swallowing functions between groups of children with various etiologies and age ranges.
