Temporal and durational patterns associating respiration and swallowing.

This study obtained initial normative data on the temporal coordination of respiration and swallowing events in 12 young adults using a first-generation Respirodeglutometer. In addition, direction of airflow before and after deglutive apnea was obtained. Three swallows of two viscosities of bolus material were performed by each subject, yielding a total of 72 swallows. Qualitative and quanitative analyses were performed. Time of onset of submental surface electromyography and time of laryngeal movement were found to differ between males and females. Males began submental muscle contraction before females and laryngeal movement after females. Duration of deglutition apnea for all swallows was 0.75 +/- 0.14 sec. Expiration occurred before the deglutition apnea 93% of the time and after the deglutition apnea 100% of the time. A modal pattern of events obtained with the Respirodeglutometer was present in 42% of the swallows, and an additional 47% had only one event differ from that order.