Age-related functional reserve decline is not seen in pharyngeal swallowing pressures

Abstract

Purpose: Functional reserve represents the difference between an individual’s ability to produce a maximum output function and the ability to perform a functional task. Several studies have documented an age-related decrease in functional reserve with oral tongue pressure generation. Whether this pattern is seen in pharyngeal swallowing pressures is unknown. The aim of this studywas to investigate pharyngeal functional reserve using high-resolution manometry during normal-effort and effortful swallows. Method: Pharyngeal high-resolution manometry was performed on 38 younger healthy individuals (≤ 40 years) and 18 older healthy individuals (≥ 60 years) during normal-effort and effortful water swallows. Pressure metrics included maximum pressure in the velopharynx, tongue base, and hypopharynx, as well as pharyngeal contractile integral and minimum pressure in the upper esophageal sphincter (UES). Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to determine the effects of swallow task, age, and pharyngeal region on pressure generation. Results: Maximum pharyngeal pressures and pharyngeal contractile integral were significantly increased during the effortful swallows compared to normal-effort swallows (p