Temporal Variability in the Deglutition Literature

A literature review was conducted on temporal measures of swallowing in healthy individuals with the purpose of determining the degree of variability present in such measures within the literature. A total of 46 studies that met inclusion criteria were reviewed. The definitions and descriptive statistics for all reported temporal parameters were compiled for meta-analysis. In total, 119 different temporal parameters were found in the literature. The three most-frequently occurring durational measures were upper esophageal sphincter opening, laryngeal closure, and hyoid movement. The three most-frequently occurring interval measures were stage transition duration, pharyngeal transit time, and duration from laryngeal closure-to-UES opening. Subtle variations in operational definitions across studies were noted, making the comparison of data challenging. Analysis of forest plots compiling descriptive statistical data (means and 95% confidence intervals) across studies revealed differing degrees of variability across durations and intervals. Two parameters (UES opening duration and the laryngeal closure-to-UES opening interval) demonstrated the least variability, reflected by small ranges for mean values and tight confidence intervals. Trends emerged for factors of bolus size and participant age for some variables. Other potential sources of variability are discussed.