The aim of the study was to analyse the disturbances of the oro-pharyngeal swallowing phase of dysphagia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with the use of specific manometric measurements and to evaluate their plausible association with the duration of the disease. Seventeen patients with ALS were evaluated with manometric examinations of the oral and pharyngeal part of the gastro...

bstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder with imporant sequelae. Aging substantially increases the risk of bstructive apnea, although the mechanisms underlying his predisposition remain unclear. Most current evience suggests that obstructive apnea results from an interction of the anatomy of the upper airway with the control f pharyngeal dilator muscles. Afflicted patients have comromised ph...

The relative impact of mechanical factors on pharyngeal patency in patients with obstructive sleep apnea is poorly understood. The present study was designed to evaluate parameters of the "tube law" on pharyngeal pressure-flow relationships and collapsibility in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. We developed a mathematical model that considered the collapsible segment of the pharynx to rep...

The pharyngeal apparatus is a transient structure that gives rise to the thymus and the parathyroid glands and also contributes to the development of arteries and the cardiac outflow tract. A typical developmental disorder of the pharyngeal apparatus is the 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), for which Tbx1 is responsible. Here, we show that Ripply3 can modulate Tbx1 activity and plays a role in...

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to investigate a possible relationship between the duration of the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing. INTRODUCTION The oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing are independent from each other but may be related. METHODS We used videofluoroscopy to evaluate 30 healthy volunteers between 29 and 77 years of age who swallowed 5- and 10-ml liquid and past...

Background and study aims It is important to examine the pharynx during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Pharyngeal anesthesia using topical lidocaine is generally used as pretreatment. In Japan, lidocaine viscous solution is the anesthetic of choice, but lidocaine spray is applied when the former is considered insufficient. However, the relationship between the extent of pharyngeal anesthesia...

The pharyngeal arches of the red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) possess large toothplates and a complex musculoskeletal design for biting and crushing hard prey. The morphology of the pharyngeal apparatus is described from dissections of six specimens, with a focus on the geometric conformation of contractile and rotational elements. Four major muscles operate the rotational 4th epibranchial (EB4) ...

BACKGROUND Patients with severe apnoea may have an impaired pharyngeal dilating reflex related to decreased pharyngeal sensitivity. The accuracy of a simple new procedure to measure pharyngeal sensitivity and to diagnose sleep disordered breathing (SDB) was investigated. METHODS Pharyngeal disappearance and appearance sensory perception thresholds were measured by delivering different airflow...

OBJECTIVE To examine the characteristics and changes in the pharyngeal phase of swallowing according to fluid viscosity in normal healthy persons, to help determine fluid intake methods in more detail than the use of standardized fluid. METHODS This was a prospective observational study involving 10 normal healthy adults. While the participants sequentially took in fluids with 10 different vi...

Background: Patients with severe apnoea may have an impaired pharyngeal dilating reflex related to decreased pharyngeal sensitivity. The accuracy of a simple new procedure to measure pharyngeal sensitivity and to diagnose sleep disordered breathing (SDB) was investigated. Methods: Pharyngeal disappearance and appearance sensory perception thresholds were measured by delivering different airflow...