Abstract
Application of a cold metal probe to the anterior faucial pillar has been reported to improve swallowing in some patients with dysphagia. Although a variety of stimuli contribute to the initiation of swallowing, the effects of a controlled, cold-thermal stimulus combined with mechanical stimulation have not been examined. It is known that simultaneous stimulation of the glossopharyngeal nerve (IX) and the superior laryngeal nerve may summate to facilitate swallowing in the cat. The goal of this study was to determine whether thermomechanical stimulation of the mucosa innervated by IX would interact with threshold electrical stimulation of the internal laryngeal nerve (ILN) to augment the swallowing response in cats. Four experimental conditions were tested over 24 trials in 4 pentobarbital-anesthetized cats. These included electrical stimulation of ILN, mechanical stimulation of the anterior faucial pillar with a thermode at ambient (room) temperature, concurrent ambient-mechanical and electrical stimulation, and concurrent cold-mechanical and electrical stimulation. Tissue was cooled to 8.9°C during cold-mechanical-electrical stimulation and 25.3°C during ambient-mechanical-electrical and ambient-mechanical alone stimulation. Ambient-mechanical stimulation alone did not produce swallowing. However, both forms of thermomechanical-electrical stimulation elicited a significantly greater number of swallows than did electrical stimulation alone. Therefore, mechanical stimulation with a thermode was capable of modifying the swallowing response in neurologically intact cats. Differences between stimulation with a probe at ambient and at cold temperatures were not significant.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Doty RW: Influence of stimulus pattern on reflex deglutition. Am J Physiol 166:142–158, 1951
Miller AJ: Characteristics of the swallowing reflex induced by peripheral nerve and brainstem stimulation. Exp Neurol 34:210–222, 1972
Sinclair WJ: Role of the pharyngeal plexus in initiation of swallowing. Am J Physiol 221:1260–1263, 1971
Weerasuriya A, Bieger D, Hockman CH: Interaction between primary afferent nerves in the elicitation of reflex swallowing. Am J Physiol 239:R407-R414, 1980
Shingai T, Shimada K: Reflex swallowing elicited by water and chemical substances applied in the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx of the rabbit. Jpn J Physiol 26:455–469, 1976
Storey AT: Laryngeal initiation of swallowing. Exp Neurol 20:359–365, 1968
Miller FR, Sherrington CS: Some observations on the pharyngeal stage of reflex deglutition in the cat. Q J Exp Physiol 9:147–186, 1916
Pommerenke WT: A study of the sensory areas eliciting the swallowing reflex. Am J Physiol 84:36–41, 1928
Sinclair WJ: Initiation of reflex swallowing from the naso- and oropharynx. Am J Physiol 218:956–960, 1970
Lazzara G, Lazarus C, Logemann JA: Impact of thermal stimulation on the triggering of the swallowing reflex. Dysphagia 1:73–77, 1986
Helfrich-Miller KR, Rector KL, Straka JA: Dysphagia: its treatment in the profoundly retarded patient with cerebral palsy. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 67:520–525, 1986
Logemann JA: Treatment for aspiration related to dysphagia: an overview. Dysphagia 1:34–38, 1986
Logemann JA: Evaluation and Treatment of Swallowing Disorders. San Diego: College-Hill Press, 1983
Rosenbek JC, Robbins J, Fishback B, Levine RL: Effects of thermal application on dysphagia after stroke. J Speech Hear Res 34:1257–1268, 1991
Storey AT: A functional analysis of sensory units innervating epiglottis and larynx. Exp Neurol 20:366–383, 1968
Sampson S, Eyzaguirre C: Some functional characteristics of mechanoreceptors in the larynx of the cat. J Neurophysiol 27:464–480, 1964
Benzing H, Hensel H, Wurster R: Integrated static activity of lingual cold receptors. Pflügers Arch 311:50–54, 1969
Sant'Ambrogio G, Mathew OP, Sant'Ambrogio FB: Characteristics of laryngeal cold receptors. Respir Physiol 71:287–298, 1988
Ogawa H, Hayama T, Yamashita Y: Thermal sensitivity of neurons in a rostral part of the rat solitary tract nucleus. Brain Res 454:321–331, 1988
Poulos DA, Lende RA: Response of trigeminal ganglion neurons to thermal stimulation of oral-facial regions. J Neurophysiol 33:508–526, 1970
Chi-Fishman G, Capra NF: Thermomechanical facilitation of swallowing evoked by electrical nerve stimulation (abstract). J Dent Res 72:371, 1993
Crouch JE: Text-Atlas of Cat Anatomy. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1969
McClure RC, Dallman MJ, Garrett PD: Cat Anatomy: An Atlas, Text and Dissection Guide. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1973
Doty RW, Bosma JF: An electromyographic analysis of reflex deglutition. J Neurophysiol 19:44–60, 1956
Sant'Ambrogio G, Brambilla-Sant'Ambrogio F, Mathew OP: Effect of cold air on laryngeal mechanoreceptors in the dog. Respir Physiol 64:45–56, 1986
Hensel H, Zotterman Y: The response of mechanoreceptors to thermal stimulation. J Physiol 115:16–24, 1951
Hiiemae KM, Crompton AW: Mastication, food transport, and swallowing. In: Hildebrand M, Bramble DM, Liem KL, Wake BD (eds.): Functional Vertebrate Morphology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1985, pp 262–290
Palmer JB, Rudin NJ, Lara G, Crompton AW: Coordination of mastication and swallowing. Dysphagia 7:187–200
Winship DH, Viegas de Andrade SR, Zboralske FF: Influence of bolus temperature on human esophageal motor function. J Clin Invest 49:243–250, 1970
Dodds WJ, Zikel G, Hogan WJ, Dent J, Arndorfer RC: The effect of bolus temperature on esophageal peristalsis (abstract). Gastroenterology 74:1028, 1978
Ott DJ, Kelly RJ, Gelfand DW: Radiographic effects of cold barium suspensions on esophageal motility. Radiology 140:830–833, 1981
Kaye MD, Kilby AE, Harper PC: Changes in distal esophageal function in response to cooling. Dig Dis Sci 32:22–27, 1987
Respess JC, Ingelfinger FJ, Kramer P, Hendrix TR: Effect of cold on esophageal motor function. Am J Med 20:955, 1956
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chi-Fishman, G., Capra, N.F. & McCall, G.N. Thermomechanical facilitation of swallowing evoked by electrical nerve stimulation in cats. Dysphagia 9, 149–155 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341258
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00341258