Functional Response Characteristics of Brain Under Swallowing Task Paradigm

Swallowing is coordinated by hyoid muscle group, pharyngeal muscle and upper esophageal muscle, as well as the regulation of swallowing related functional brain area. Dysphagia refers to the inability to safely and effectively transport food from the mouth to the stomach to obtain adequate nutrition and water, resulting in eating difficulties. Studies have shown that swallowing disorders are mainly caused by stroke, brain trauma, neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and head and neck cancers (oral tumors, nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers). Moreover, the prevalence of dysphagia increases with age. Patients with dysphagia often have many complications, which may lead to dehydration, malnutrition, aspiration, pneumonia, etc., which greatly delays the recovery process of patients and reduces the quality of life of patients. Studies have shown that the swallowing network includes multiple brain regions, including the primary somatosensory cortex, primary motor cortex, bilateral premotor and auxiliary motor cortex, cingulate cortex, prefrontal, temporal, precuneus, subparietal lobule, cerebellum and cerebellum. At present, there are some functional near-infrared spectroscopy studies on the swallowing function of healthy people, which mainly focus on healthy young subjects, and studies show that the incidence of swallowing disorders increases with age, the incidence of swallowing disorders in people over 50 years old is 5.5% \~ 8%, and swallowing disorders are mainly concentrated in middle-aged and elderly people. At present, there are no studies on swallowing function in middle-aged and elderly healthy subjects with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The purpose of this study is to explore and compare the cortical activation patterns and lateralization in the swallowing task of healthy middle-aged and elderly people and young people by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, providing a theoretical basis for the exploration of swallowing function and further providing new ideas for the treatment of patients with swallowing disorders.