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Surface Electromyography of Pharyngeal Swallowing in Healthy Chinese Individuals: Establishment of a Timing and Amplitude Database

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Abstract

This study determined the surface electromyography (sEMG) characteristics of healthy Chinese adults during swallowing to provide a reference for the clinical differential diagnosis of swallowing and dysphagia. sEMG was performed on 187 healthy adults to obtain quantitative information on normal pharyngeal swallowing. The evaluated parameters included the timing and amplitude of sEMG activity in the submental and infrahyoid muscles. A normative database was constructed for the timing and amplitude of muscle activity during pharyngeal swallowing. Results indicated that the duration of sEMG activity was related to the age of the patient; the duration gradually increasing with age. Similarly, the duration of the sEMG activity was associated with the type of swallowing. The duration of the sEMG activity was similar for dry and wet swallowing but was significantly different for excessive swallowing. The mean amplitude of sEMG activity for the submental and infrahyoid muscles was not significantly associated with patient age. A significant correlation between the mean amplitude of sEMG activity and the types of normal swallowing was observed in infrahyoid, but not in submental muscle activity. This study is the first report on the establishment of a normative database for the duration and amplitude of muscle activity based on sEMG analysis of pharyngeal swallowing in healthy Chinese adults.

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Data Availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.

Abbreviations

sEMG:

Surface electromyography

VFSS:

Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Study

ENT:

Ear, nose, and throat

MMSE:

Mini-mental state examination

ANOVA:

The Analysis of Variance

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the hard and dedicated work of all the staff that implemented the intervention and evaluation components of the study.

Funding

Research and demonstration of key techniques for rehabilitation of impaired consciousness after brain injury (20202BBG72002). Clinical application of ear vagus nerve stimulation in the treatment of chronic disturbance of consciousness (20212BAG70023).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No.17 of Yongwaizheng Street, DongHu District, Nanchang City, 330006, JiangXi Province, China

    Ling-Ling Liu, Ying-Jun Zhong, Xiu-Ping Chen, Lang Shuai & Zhen Feng

Author notes

  1. Ling-Ling Liu and Ying-Jun Zhong have contributed equally to this article.

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    1. Ling-Ling Liu
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    Contributions

    L-LL and ZF conceived the idea and conceptualised the study. Y-JZ collected the data. LS and X-PC analysed the data. ZF obtained financing. L-LL and ZF drafted the manuscript, then Y-JZ and ZF reviewed the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final draft.

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    Correspondence to Zhen Feng.

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    The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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    I confirm that I have read the Editorial Policy pages. This study was conducted with approval from the Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University [(2022) CDYFYYLK (06-31)]. This study was conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki.

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    Liu, LL., Zhong, YJ., Chen, XP. et al. Surface Electromyography of Pharyngeal Swallowing in Healthy Chinese Individuals: Establishment of a Timing and Amplitude Database. Dysphagia 38, 1398–1405 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-023-10569-y

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