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Reduced movement velocity has been identified as a risk marker for movement impairment in older adults. Hyolaryngeal excursion is a key movement feature of normal swallowing function which is known to change with age and other extrinsic variables such as bolus volume. However, velocity of hyolaryngeal excursion has received limited attention in the literature on normal or abnormal swallowing. This study evaluated the effects of age and bolus volume on the velocity of hyoid and laryngeal excursion during swallowing in healthy adults. Forty-four healthy volunteers were grouped into three age bands (young: 20-35 years, middle age: 36-55 years, older: 56 ≥ years). All subjects swallowed 5 and 20 mL of thin liquid during fluoroscopic recording. Fluoroscopic images were extracted for each swallow representing the onset and maximum excursion positions of the hyoid and larynx. Superior and anterior excursion distance (excursion magnitude) and the time difference between rest and maximum excursion (excursion duration) were calculated. Velocity was calculated as a ratio of distance over time. Superior hyoid excursion magnitude was significantly increased for the 20 mL volume. Anterior laryngeal excursion magnitude was also significantly increased for the 20 mL volume. No kinematic duration measure demonstrated significant change across age or bolus conditions. Superior hyoid excursion velocity was significantly faster for the 20 mL volume. Superior and anterior laryngeal excursion velocity were significantly faster for the 20 mL volume only in the older group. Results of this study indicate that magnitude and velocity of hyoid and laryngeal excursion vary with age and volume. Comprising both excursion magnitude and duration, kinematic velocity may be a more complete metric to evaluate age-related swallowing performance.

Objective: To determine if laryngeal aerodynamic parameters distinguish the voice of patients diagnosed as having adductor spasmodic dysphonia (SD) from individuals with normal voice production., Design: A group comparison between 10 women diagnosed as having adductor SD and 10 women with no evidence of vocal abnormalities or vocal dysfunction., Setting: University and university-affiliated health center., Patients: Ten women (age range, 38 through 82 years) diagnosed as having adductor SD and 10 age-matched women (+/- 2 years) with no evidence of pathologic vocal features or vocal dysfunction., Results: Multivariate statistical analysis revealed significantly higher values for amplitude-based glottal airflow measures of maximum flow declination rate, peak glottal airflow, and minimum glottal airflow., Conclusions: Spasmodic dysphonia affects the ability of the laryngeal mechanism to function effectively. To date, few empirical studies have examined glottal airflow characteristics associated with adductor SD. Results from our study demonstrate that certain amplitude-based glottal airflow parameters distinguish adductor SD from normal voice. Therefore, aerodynamic measures may offer additional objectivity for the study.

Variability in magnitude of deglutitional hyolaryngeal excursion in patients with dysphagia suggests that it does not adequately represent the kinematics of swallowing difficulties or recovery following rehabilitation. On the other hand, reduced hyolaryngeal excursion velocity has been reported in patients with dysphagia. While increased movement velocity often accompanies clinical and functional recovery in many diseases, velocity changes in swallowing-related movement following dysphagia therapy have not been well studied. This study evaluated changes in hyoid and laryngeal excursion (magnitude, duration and velocity) before and following successful dysphagia therapy to provide a more comprehensive representation of improvement to swallowing kinematics in patients who have experienced successful rehabilitation. A secondary analysis of case series data was completed. Eight patients with severe, chronic dysphagia completed a standard course of an exercise-based dysphagia treatment programme ( Mc Neill dysphagia therapy program, MDTP). Pre- and post-treatment, kinematic aspects of swallowing were evaluated for thin liquid, thick liquid and pudding swallows. Maximum hyoid and laryngeal excursion magnitude and excursion duration were measured. Excursion velocities were calculated from excursion magnitude and duration measures. Successful treatment for dysphagia facilitated increased hyolaryngeal excursion magnitude, duration and velocity. These changes were most prominent for the hyoid and most often observed with thin liquids. By examining hyoid and laryngeal excursion velocity in patients who have experienced successful dysphagia rehabilitation, this study demonstrated the value of evaluating spatial and temporal aspects of swallowing kinematics in a single measure for a more comprehensive representation of positive changes underlying functional recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]