Changes of bolus properties and the triggering of swallowing in healthy humans

Greek DailyNews shared this article with you from Inoreader Changes of bolus properties and the triggering of swallowing in healthy humans Via Journal of Oral Rehabilitation Abstract Background There is wide variation in chewing behaviors, even among healthy humans. Further, the way in which humans determine swallowing initiation when chewing solid foods remains unclear. The current study sought to investigate how the bolus properties change over time during chewing, and to clarify which factors affect chewing and swallowing behaviors, including swallowing initiation, in healthy humans. Methods Twenty‐four healthy volunteers were instructed to chew 8 g of steamed rice and spit it out at 50%, 100% and 150% of their own chewing duration, defined as the time of chewing from onset of the first chewing cycle to onset of the first swallow. Chewing and swallowing behaviors were monitored and determined by visual inspection of video recordings. The physical properties such as hardness, cohesiveness and adhesiveness as well as water content of the bolus were measured. In each subject, maximum bite force, tongue pressure, and stimulated salivary flow rate were also measured. Results Hardness gradually decreased, and the cohesiveness and water content of the bolus did not change up to 50% of chewing duration, followed by a slight but significant increase. The adhesiveness of the bolus rapidly decreased at the beginning of chewing. Chewing duration was significantly related to stimulated salivary flow rate; greater salivary flow rate was associated with shorter chewing duration. Conclusion Variation of chewing duration and swallowing initiation was not dependent on bolus properties during the chewing of steamed rice, but mainly depended on the surface lubrication of the bolus. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.