Respiratory Capacity and Swallowing Function in Spinal Disorders: A Pilot Study

Exclusion Criteria

• •Prior history of swallowing, motor speech, gastro-esophageal difficulties, chronic sinusitis or taste disturbance.
• •Neurological difficulties unrelated to spinal disorder (e.g. Stroke, Parkinson disease, etc).
• •Cognitive communication difficulties that may hinder ability to participate.
• •Current use of mechanical ventilation
• •External instrumentation around the head/neck that would obstruct the field of view during the videofluoroscopy exam (e.g. cervical collar).
• •Type 1 Diabetes (due to the requirement to swallow stimuli containing starch based thickeners, which carry a significant carbohydrate load).
• •Known allergies to latex, food coloring or dental glue (due to the probability that these items will come into contact with the oral mucosa during data collection).
• •Children and pregnant women (due to the use of radiation during the videofluoroscopic examination).