Electrokinesiographic Study of Oropharyngeal Swallowing in Neurogenic Dysphagia

Electrokinesiographic study of swallowing (EKSS) can be useful for the assessment of patients with suspected or overt neurogenic dysphagia. EKSS consists of multichannel recording of the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the suprahyoid/submental muscle complex (SHEMG), the EMG activity of the cricopharyngeal muscle (CPEMG), and the laryngopharyngeal mechanogram (LPM). The LPM is an expression of the mechanical changes that the laryngopharyngeal structures undergo during the pharyngeal phase of swallowing. This method allows detailed evaluation of the magnitude, duration and temporal relations of the different events that characterize oropharyngeal swallowing, and thus in-depth exploration both of physiological deglutition mechanisms and of pathophysiological features of swallowing in neurogenic dysphagia. Furthermore, EKSS can guide dysphagia treatment strategies, allowing identification of optimal solutions for single patients. For instance, CPEMG recording can identify incomplete or absent relaxation of the upper esophageal sphincter during the pharyngeal phase of swallowing, thus suggesting a therapeutic approach based on botulinum toxin injection into the cricopharyngeal muscle. More recently, the ‘shape’ of SHEMG and the reproducibility of both SHEMG and LPM over repeated swallowing acts have been implemented as novel electrokinesiographic parameters. These measures could be valuable for straightforward non-invasive investigation of dysphagia severity and response to dysphagia treatment in clinical practice.