Effect of Age on Swallowing Parameters in an Electroglottographic Study

Abstract

Aim: To establish age as an essential factor in the assessment of swallowing Materials and methods: Sixty subjects were divided into two age groups (18 to 33 years and 55 to 70 years) and were further divided into males and females. Each subject was made to swallow four times each with different food consistency (dry, water, puree, and solid). The electroglottograph (EGG) was done during the swallowing process, and each swallow was depicted by a peak and a trough in the EGG. The X-axis in the EGG showed time while the Y-axis shows percentage amplitude. With the help of web plot digitizer software, the change in time and the change in percentage amplitude were obtained from the point of onset and offset of the peak and trough in the graph and the highest and lowest point on the peak and trough in the graph respectively. Results: A significant effect of age on dry swallow time and percentage amplitude, water swallow time and percentage amplitude, puree swallow time and percentage amplitude, solid swallow time and percentage amplitude was obtained. Conclusion: The results indicated that as age increased there was a significant increase in the change in time and a significant decrease in the change in percentage amplitude parameter. Clinical significance: Age should be considered as an important factor in the process of assessment of swallowing. The altered physiology with an increase in age should influence the clinician’s perception of normalcy and prognostic predictions.