Barium Swallow Case Study

The video that I observed was an adult that was given a modified barium swallow (MBS). The adult was given thin liquids to complete the MBS. The MBS observes all stages of swallowing. The oral preparatory stage of swallowing was not clearly observed in the video. However, the oral transport, pharyngeal, and esophageal stages of swallowing were observed. During the oral transport stage, the tongue forms a groove that pushes the bolus posteriorly. However, it was observed that the patient's tongue did not form a deep groove. This caused the thin liquid barium to travel underneath the tongue. During the pharyngeal stage of swallowing, it was observed that the patient exhibits reduced hyoid elevation, reduced airway protection, and reduced passive movement of the epiglottis. The patient had a total of three swallows. It was observed during the first swallow that there was a delayed timing of laryngeal elevation. The delayed timing of laryngeal elevation also caused a delay in epiglottic movement. In a typical swallow, the epiglottis folds down to protect the airway. However, the epiglottis did not fold down completely when the patient completed the second swallow. It was also observed that
Parkinson's disease will cause muscle weakness. Swallowing problems that occur in patients with Parkinson's disease are evident in the oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal stages. Patients with Parkinson's disease will exhibit a mild delay that activates the pharyngeal swallow. A delay in the pharyngeal swallow may lead to aspiration. Patients with Parkinson's disease will exhibit residue in the valleculae and in the pyriform sinuses. The residue in those structures will also increase the risk of aspiration. Patients with Parkinson's disease will exhibit reduced laryngeal elevation and pharyngeal wall movement that cause the bolus not travel into the