Effects of transcutaneous electrical stimulation on swallowing function in adult versus elderly volunteers

• Grant number: 09/16188-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: March 01, 2010
• End date: August 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Giédre Berretin-Felix
• Grantee: Giédre Berretin-Felix
• Host Investigator: Michael A. Crary
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Florida, Gainesville (UF), United States

Abstract

Physiological modifications related to the elderly process associated to diseases that affect the central and perifericous systems can result in oropharyngeal dysphagia. The treatment of dysphagia can be made by different methods of intervention and the neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in these cases has been described recently in the literature, where the majority of the studies focus the effects of this method in heterogeneous groups in respect to age and dysphagia etiology. Researches about health elderly were not found. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a cross sectional effect study comparing physiological impact of sensory NMES to motor NMES on swallowing function in young versus elderly healthy volunteers. In order to do that, it will be evaluated 40 individuals who have good oral and general health, considering different ages: 20 to 40 years old (n=20) and after 65 years old (n=20). During swallowing of different consistencies (thin liquid, thickened liquid, pudding) and volumes (5 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml of each consistency), it will be measured the tongue-palate pressure by means of Kay Digital Swallowing Workstation, the pharyngeal pressure with manometry and breathing patterns from nasal airflow. The neuromuscular electrical stimulation will occur during different sensory and motor level stimulation. The results obtained with different level stimulation will be placed in a data system and also submitted to statistical treatment. (AU)