Date of Award

2013

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

Health Sciences

First Advisor

Cox, Violet

Subject Headings

Deglutition disorders, Aspiration and aspirators, Aerodynamics, aerodynamics, dysphagia, MPT, SZ ratio

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of aerodynamic measures of Maximum Phonation Time (MPT) and the S/Z ratio on swallowing. Twelve individuals were examined, six with a diagnosis of dysphagia, and six as a control group. The study hypothesized that (1) there would be a reduced MPT in the dysphagic group compared to the control (2) there would be an S/Z ratio greater than 1.0 in the dysphagic group. The rationale for this study was that since MPT and S/Z measures are easily administered, they may prove to be useful, non-invasive, inexpensive tools to predict a patient's potential risk for aspiration. The results showed (1) a reduction of MPT values in the dysphagic group compared to the control (2) no significant difference in S/Z ratios between groups (3) a significant decrease in duration of individual /s/ /z/ productions in the dysphagic group and (4) a significant difference in /z/ duration compared to /s/ duration was found in both the dysphagic and control groups. The results suggest that only the MPT may be a useful indicator in detecting patients who may be at risk for aspiration. Contrary to the hypothesis, the S/Z ratio is not a predictor for detecting patients who may be at risk for aspiration

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