Identifying the Neural Correlates of Swallowing in Two Age Groups Using fMRI

251 p.Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008.Understanding the neural functional organization of normal swallowing and its components is essential in accurately diagnosing and treating patients with swallowing disorders, also known as dysphagia. The aim of the present investigation was to identify the neural activation sites of different components of deglutition in healthy young and older adults using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Ten young (age range 19-25 years of age; five males and five females) and nine older (age range 66-77 years of age; three males and six females) right-handed healthy individuals were scanned in a 3 Tesla Siemens Allegra MRI scanner. Participants were visually cued for both a "Swallow" task and for component/control tasks ("Prepare to swallow", "Tap your tongue", and "Clear your throat") in a randomized order (event-related design). Behavioral Interleaved Gradient (BIG) methodology was used to address movement-related artifacts. Areas activated during each of the control tasks enabled the differentiation of the neural localization for various components of the swallow. Between group comparisons revealed statistically stronger activations mainly in the primary somatosensory cortex of young adults during most tasks examined (p