The Recline and Head Lift Exercises: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Biomechanical Swallowing Outcomes and Perceived Effort in Healthy Older Adults
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this study was to compare biomechanical swallowing outcomes and perceived effort as well as detraining effects of the established Head Lift Exercise (HLE) and the novel Recline Exercise (RE) in healthy older adults. Method Twenty-two healthy older adults were randomized to perform either the RE or the HLE for a period of 6 weeks. Subjects underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing studies at 3 time points (baseline, postexercise, and following a 6-week detraining period). Primary outcome measures included biomechanical measures of superior and anterior hyoid excursion and upper esophageal sphincter opening, obtained using kinematic analyses on the recorded swallows. Perceived exertion ratings during exercise, as measured by the Borg scale, were included as a secondary outcome measure. Linear mixed-effects models were utilized to compare exercise groups and evaluation time points. Results The 2 exercise groups did not differ significantly in age, body mass index, or body fat percentage at baseline. Significant postexercise increases were seen in superior hyoid excursion, F(2, 36.7) = 24.01, p ≤ .0001, and anterior hyoid excursion, F(2, 36.7) = 5.40, p = .0088, for both exercise groups. Upper esophageal sphincter opening did not increase significantly following the exercise regimens, F(2, 36.5) = 2.14, p = .1322. Both groups displayed a significant decrease in perceived exertion levels over the course of the exercises, F(5, 98) = 23.73, p ≤ .0001. On average,…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design.
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