Effects of Age, Gender, Bolus Volume, and Trial on Swallowing Apnea Duration and Swallow/Respiratory Phase Relationships of Normal Adults

Abstract

The effects of age, gender, bolus volume, and trial on swallowing apnea duration (SAD) and swallow/respiratory phase relationships were examined. Sixty adults, comprised of ten males and ten females in each of three age groups (i.e., 20 to 39, 40 to 59, and 60 to 83 years), participated. SAD was assessed via nasal airflow during saliva swallows and 10, 15, 20, 25 ml bolus volumes across three trials. Results revealed SAD is consistent across trial (p > .05). Significant main effects of age, gender and bolus volume were found (p < .05). That is, elderly adults had longer SAD than young and middle-aged adults, women had longer SAD than men, and SAD increased as bolus volume increased. With respect to saliva swallows, a significant interaction of age by gender was found (p < .05). That is, males exhibited a decrease in SAD with increasing age while females exhibited an increase in SAD with increasing age. Concerning swallow/respiratory phase relationships, the pattern of exhale-swallow-exhale was evident during 62% of participants swallows. Further, age, gender, or bolus volume did not predict the pattern of exhale-swallow-exhale (p > .05). Key words: Normal Swallowing - Respiration - Apnea - Deglutition - Duration