Tongue Motor Recruitment During Exercise

January 4, 2017 updated by: University of Florida

Genioglossus Motor Recruitment During Swallowing and Expiratory Loading Exercises

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.

Study Overview

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.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Florida
      • Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32611
        • Shands Hospital at the University of Florida

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • No known major disease, disorder or medical conditions

Exclusion Criteria:

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

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exercise
The participants will have the following tests performed: Maximum Expiratory Pressure (MEP), insertion of a fine-wire electromyography (EMG) electrode into the mid-line base of the tongue, will complete swallowing tasks and breathing tasks under Videofluoroscopy (fluoroscopy on only during the actual task)
During the fine wire electromyography (EMG), the participant will be asked to complete breathing exercises at 50% and 75% of their maximum capacity (determined prior to fine wire EMG using manometry) to determine activation and recruitment of genioglossus muscle.
Other Names:
  • EMG
The participants' maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) will be assessed using a hand-held digital manometer (MP01, Micro Direct Inc.). The subject will be standing and while wearing a nose clip be asked to blow out as hard and fast as they can to determine their MEP. This will be completed a maximum of three times to obtain values within close range of one another.
Other Names:
  • MEP
Videofluoroscopy allows for time-synced, frame-by-frame data analysis for the specific measures taken during swallowing tasks.
Other Names:
  • Videofluoroscopy and Barium
These include: an anterior tongue press to the alveolar ridge (behind the front molars), a saliva swallow, a 10 mL barium swallow, a 10 mL barium "hard" swallow (i.e. swallowing with extra effort), and two breathing exercise trials at 50% MEP and 75% MEP.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Electromyography (EMG) will be used to analyze genioglossus muscle movement
Time Frame: Baseline
Electromyography (EMG) activity will be recorded via standard concentric needle electrodes inserted into the genioglossus muscle. Maximum muscle activation will be recorded and analyzed to determine difference between tasks using the genioglossus muscle.
Baseline
Kinematic Swallowing Measurements will be used to analyze a normal movement of swallowing
Time Frame: Baseline
Kinematic swallowing measurements is an objective analysis of videofluoroscopy. This involves capturing and manipulating digital images with computer technology to make exact timing measures of bolus flow and movement of structures, as well as spatial measurements of distance and area against reference points.
Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Emily K Plowman, PhD, CCC-SLP, University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

May 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 9, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 16, 2016

First Posted (Estimate)

February 22, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

January 5, 2017

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 4, 2017

Last Verified

January 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB201600120

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

Undecided

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Healthy

Clinical Trials on Electromyography

Subscribe