OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of the application of tongue pressure sensor sheet on the signal waveform of laryngeal movement produced by the bend sensor during deglutition.

METHODSTwelve adult male subjects were recruited to perform a single swallow of 5 ml water when sitting on the dental chair with upright position. The data recorded by bend sensor was obtained with attaching tongue pressure sensor sheet simultaneously or not. Then the measured parameters by bend sensor with or without concurrent application of tongue pressure sensor sheet were compared.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between the same time point on the signal waveform produced by bend sensor whether concurrently attaching tongue pressure sensor sheet or not (P > 0.05). Additionally, we found no statistical significances between matched phases on the signal waveform recorded by bend sensor with or without application of tongue pressure sensor sheet (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe findings in this study suggest us that the usage of tongue pressure sensor sheet exerted no influences on the waveform of the laryngeal movement produced by bend sensor during deglutition, facilitating us to further apply tongue pressure sensor sheet and bend sensor simultaneously to record tongue pressure production and hyoid activity during deglutition.

Adult ; Biosensing Techniques ; instrumentation ; Deglutition ; physiology ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; physiology ; Larynx ; physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pressure ; Tongue ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the tongue pressure (TP) produced by tongue-hard palate contact in the process of normally swallowing liquid in healthy adults.

METHODSThirteen adult male subjects were recruited to perform a single swallow of 5 ml water when sitting with upright position. The tongue pressure sensor sheet was used to monitor TP as a result of tongue-hard palate approximatation in the anteriomedian, midmedian, posteriomedian and circumferential parts, and the swallowing sound was recorded by microphone. The temporal sequence of TP at each measured part was obtained after setting the swallowing sound as the reference time. Also, the total duration, pre-peak duration, post-peak duration, maximum magnitude and integrated value of TP were recorded and compared among the measured parts.

RESULTSTP was produced from anterior to posterior along the midline of hard palate during normal swallowing of water [Ch1: (-0.40 ± 0.22) s, Ch2: (-0.36 ± 0.21) s, Ch3: (-0.24 ± 0.18) s], with the circumferential TP [Ch4: (-0.38 ± 0.23) s, Ch5: (-0.40 ± 0.23) s] occurring nearly to the anteriomedian one (P > 0.05). Before the swallowing sound (P < 0.05), TP at each part reached a peak synchronously [Ch1: (-0.12 ± 0.24) s, Ch2: (-0.16 ± 0.22) s, Ch3: (-0.13 ± 0.21) s, Ch4: (-0.16 ± 0.23) s, Ch5: (-0.17 ± 0.23) s] in a rapid manner (P > 0.05), then decreased gradually until disappeared simultaneously [Ch1: (0.32 ± 0.23) s, Ch2: (0.27 ± 0.21) s, Ch3: (0.23 ± 0.16) s, Ch4: (0.33 ± 0.31) s, Ch5: (0.33 ± 0.29) s] (P > 0.05) after the swallowing sound (P < 0.05). The TP related parameters (the total duration of TP:Ch1: (0.72 ± 0.20) s, Ch2: (0.63 ± 0.16) s, Ch3: (0.47 ± 0.17) s, Ch4: (0.70 ± 0.35) s, Ch5: (0.73 ± 0.29) s; the pre-peak duration of TP: Ch1: (0.28 ± 0.21) s, Ch2: (0.20 ± 0.16) s, Ch3: (0.12 ± 0.10) s, Ch4: (0.21 ± 0.22) s, Ch5: (0.23 ± 0.21) s; the post-peak duration of TP: Ch1: (0.44 ± 0.23) s, Ch2: (0.43 ± 0.18) s, Ch3: (0.36 ± 0.18) s, Ch4: (0.49 ± 0.25) s, Ch5: (0.50 ± 0.23) s; the maximum magnitude of TP: Ch1: (13.80 ± 7.73) kPa, Ch2: (12.40 ± 6.51) kPa, Ch3: (10.26 ± 7.15) kPa, Ch4: (12.16 ± 5.38) kPa, Ch5: (13.08 ± 5.05) kPa; the integrated value of TP: Ch1: (4.99 ± 3.69) kPa×s, Ch2: (4.25 ± 2.13) kPa×s, Ch3: (2.88 ± 1.87) kPa×s, Ch4: (4.32 ± 3.47) kPa×s, Ch5: (4.63 ± 2.49) kPa×s were significantly smaller in the posteriomedian part among all the five parts measured. No laterality was found in TP produced at the circumferential parts of the hard palate (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe TP at each part coordinates precisely during swallowing. The effective measurement of TP by tongue pressure sensor sheet will facilitate the evaluation of oral swallowing and the diagnosis of dysphagia simply and non-invasively.

Adult ; Deglutition ; physiology ; Deglutition Disorders ; diagnosis ; Drinking ; physiology ; Drinking Water ; Humans ; Male ; Palate, Hard ; Pressure ; Time Factors ; Tongue ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo calculate the bone mineral density (BMD) of buccal and lingual mandibular cortical bone in psychological stressed rats.

METHODSOne hundred adult male SD rats were randomly divided into psychological stress group(PS group, 40 rats), control group (C group, 40 rats) and foot shock group (FS group, 20 rats). In addition, the PS group and C group were equally divided into week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4 and week 5 subgroup at random. The animals placed intervally in the communication box to receive the psychological stimuli were considered as the PS group animals. The stressors were from their neighboring FS group rats which were receiving foot shock. After observing the behavioral changes of the PS group rats and C group rats with elevated plus maze test, the mandibles were removed carefully and BMD of regions of interest (ROI) in the mandible were calculated by Micro-CT. The ROI were located at the equidistant five points, i.e. A, B, C, D and E, along the anteroposterior border and approximately halfway between the superior and inferior border of the mandible.

RESULTSSignificant decrease of time spent in the open arms, ratio of open arms time and ratio of open arms entries were observed in PS group [time spent in the open arms: (16.6 ± 2.3), (17.1 ± 2.4), (15.8 ± 1.6), (15.8 ± 2.2), (17.9 ± 2.6) s]; ratio of open arms time: [(30.5 ± 3.7)%, (30.3 ± 2.5)%, (26.8 ± 3.8)%, (26.5 ± 2.0)%, (27.4 ± 2.6)%]; ratio of open arms entries: [(34.1 ± 4.4)%, (34.6 ± 4.1)%, (32.6 ± 3.9)%, (34.5 ± 4.8)%, (31.8 ± 3.3)%] compared with control group at each time point (P < 0.05), no differences were observed among PS groups (P > 0.05). On the buccal side of mandibular body, BMD in point D of week 5 PS group [(1 085.4 ± 88.5) mg/cm³] was higher than that of matched control group [(782.3 ± 53.7) mg/cm³) ]and week 1 PS group [(825.2 ± 88.5) mg/cm³] (P < 0.05). Similar results of BMD were obtained in point E between week 5 PS group [(657.2 ± 101.7) mg/cm³] and control group [(415.9 ± 99.7)mg/cm³], week 1 and 2 PS group [(348.1 ± 111.3), (339.3 ± 74.0) mg/cm³] (P < 0.05). On the lingual side of mandibular body, the alterations of BMD were observed in point B and C between week 5 PS group [(1 755.6 ± 156.6), (1 367.8 ± 115.8) mg/cm³]and matched control group [(1 364.6 ± 120.2), (922.6 ± 102.6) mg/cm³] and week 1 PS group [(1 299.7 ± 172.9), (1 052.3 ± 107.9) mg/cm³] (P < 0.05). No differences of BMD were observed in the other points between PS group and control group at each time point(P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPsychological stress induced by communication box could result in the anxious behavior of SD rats and increase the BMD of cortical bone in certain regions of the mandibular body.

Animals ; Bone Density ; Male ; Mandible ; physiology ; Rats ; Stress, Psychological ; X-Ray Microtomography