Endurance measurement of hyoid muscle activity and hyoid‐laryngeal position during tongue lift movement

Background Tongue lift movement (TLM) is used as a therapy to improve tongue pressure against the hard palate for dysphagic patients. Objective The present study aimed to characterize the time‐dependent endurance changes in hyoid muscle activity and hyoid‐laryngeal displacement during TLM in different ways. Methods Sixteen young healthy volunteers were instructed to perform TLM at maximum effort (100%) against the anterior and posterior parts of the hard palate using a balloon‐type tongue pressure instrument, followed by a 10‐second recording during anterior 80% TLM, anterior 100% TLM, posterior 80% TLM and posterior 100% TLM with visual feedback. Electromyography (EMG) of suprahyoid (S‐Hyo) and infrahyoid (I‐Hyo) muscles and videofluorography were simultaneously recorded. To evaluate temporal changes, the recording period was divided into three substages: early, middle and late. Tongue pressure, integrated EMG (iEMG), power frequency of EMG burst and hyoid‐laryngeal position were compared among the conditions (80% vs 100%, anterior vs posterior and early vs middle vs late). Results Tongue pressure was stably maintained for 10 seconds in all conditions. S‐Hyo iEMG and I‐Hyo iEMG were significantly greater at 100% than at 80%, while no significant difference was observed between positions. S‐Hyo iEMG and I‐Hyo iEMG significantly increased at the late stage, while power frequency of EMG burst gradually decreased. Significant temporal changes in laryngeal elevation were observed only in posterior 100% TLM. Conclusion The current results suggested that isometric posterior TLM may be more useful compared with anterior TLM in clinical situations for dysphagic patients to elevate the hyolaryngeal complex.