Clinical trial NCT02687737: Tongue Motor Recruitment During Exercise
Official title: Genioglossus Motor Recruitment During Swallowing and Expiratory Loading Exercises
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Keywords: Tongue
Genioglossus
genioglossus recruitment
Lead sponsor: University of Florida
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2016-02-22
Enrollment: 30
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 90
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The prevalence of dysphagia may be as high as 22% in individuals over 50 years of age. There are few therapeutic options offered to these individuals. One more recent therapeutic option is Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST), which has been used successfully to maintain or increase expiratory force generating pressures, cough function, and swallowing in a number of disease populations. Recently, the investigators have noted improvements in oral transit time during swallowing in individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) that could potentially be attributed to improved base of tongue functioning and muscle activation.

There has been one study that demonstrated that breathing training resulted in increased and prolonged submental (under the chin) muscle activation as evidenced by surface electromyography. However, no studies have investigated the activation of the tongue muscles during various swallowing and breathing exercises. A small needle electrode (fine wire EMG) is standard of care in diagnosing muscular diseases because it can determine amount of muscle recruitment for muscles throughout the body. This aim of this research study is to examine the effects of breathing exercises and swallowing exercises on tongue muscle activity in healthy adults.

Detailed description: This study will measure tongue muscle activation using fine wire EMG placed into the tongue muscle (underneath the chin) during swallowing and breathing exercises. A neurologist trained in EMG will perform all procedures to ensure best placement and minimize discomfort of the participant. While the needle is in place, the participant will complete a series of swallowing tasks and breathing exercises using a small, handheld training device. All swallowing and breathing tasks will be viewed under x-ray in order to see the movement and timing of the tongue and swallowing muscles during each task. Participation in the study will take one, one-hour visit to the Shands Dental Tower lab spaces where all procedures will be completed.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* No known major disease, disorder or medical conditions

Exclusion Criteria:

* Currently on anticoagulant therapy
* Has a bleeding/anticoagulant disorder or disease

Primary outcomes:
measure: Electromyography (EMG) will be used to analyze genioglossus muscle movement
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Kinematic Swallowing Measurements will be used to analyze a normal movement of swallowing
timeFrame: Baseline
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Gainesville
country: United States
facility: Shands Hospital at the University of Florida
state: Florida
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions
name: Emily K Plowman, PhD, CCC-SLP
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Wheeler-Hegland KM, Rosenbek JC, Sapienza CM. Submental sEMG and hyoid movement during Mendelsohn maneuver, effortful swallow, and expiratory muscle strength training. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2008 Oct;51(5):1072-87. doi: 10.1044/1092-4388(2008/07-0016). Epub 2008 Aug 26.
citation: Trinder J, Woods M, Nicholas CL, Chan JK, Jordan AS, Semmler JG. Motor unit activity in upper airway muscles genioglossus and tensor palatini. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2013 Sep 15;188(3):362-9. doi: 10.1016/j.resp.2013.06.011. Epub 2013 Jun 21.