The subject is a 47 year old male with no history of swallowing problems. The videofluoroscopy segments include swallowing of a Liquid Gulp from a glass (lateral view) .

Notice that 2 swallows are needed to clear the liquid. This is considered normal.

You may also view each stage:

1. Oral Preparatory and Oral Phases

• bolus held between the tongue and the anterior hard palate with the tongue cupping the liquid bolus with the sides of the tongue sealed against the lateral alveolus
• soft palate pulled down and forward, sealing off oral cavity from the pharynx if there is no active chewing
• tongue moves bolus posteriorly
• this stage takes less than 1 to 1.5 seconds to complete

2. Pharyngeal Phase

• elevation and retraction of the velum and complete closure of the velopharyngeal to prevent passage into the nasopharynx
• elevation and anterior movement of the hyoid and larynx
• closure of the larynx at the true vocal folds, the laryngeal entrance and the epiglottis to prevent material from entering the airway
• airway entrance is closed for approximately 5 seconds or more with sequential cup drinking

Go Back to Main Menu

Special thanks to St.Mary's/Duluth Clinic (SMDC) Radiology and Speech Pathology departments for providing the videofluroscopy studies of the normal adult.