Biomedical subjects

Erin M Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to Erin M Wilson.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Spontaneous facial motility in infancy: a 3D kinematic analysis.

Early spontaneous orofacial movements have rarely been studied experimentally, though the motor experiences gained from these behaviors may influence the development of motor skills emerging for speech. This investigation quantitatively describes developmental changes in silent, spontaneous lip and jaw movements from 1 to 12 months of age using optically based 3D motion capture technology. Twenty-nine typically developing infants at five ages (1, 5, 7, 9, and 12 months) were studied cross-sectionally. Infants exhibited spontaneous facial movements at all ages studied. Several age-related changes were detected in lip and jaw kinematics: the occurrence of spontaneous movements increased, movement speed increased, the duration of movement epochs decreased and movement coupling among different facial regions increased. Additionally, evidence for stereotypic movements was not strong. The present findings suggest that, during the first year of life, early spontaneous facial movements undergo significant developmental change in the direction of skill development for speech.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

Coordinative organization of lingual propulsion during the normal adult swallow.

Lingual propulsion during swallowing is characterized by the sequential elevation of the anterior, middle, and dorsal regions of the tongue. Although lingual discoordination underlies many swallowing disorders, the coordinative organization of lingual propulsion during the typical and disordered swallow is poorly understood. The purpose of this investigation was to quantitatively describe the coordinative organization of lingual propulsion during the normal adult swallow. Tongue movement data were obtained from the X-Ray Microbeam Database at the University of Wisconsin. Movement of four pellets placed on specific tongue regions were tracked in 36 healthy adult participants while they swallowed 10 cc of water across five discrete trials. The propulsive action of the tongue during bolus transport was quantified using a cross-correlation analysis. Lingual transit time (LTT), which was defined as the interval (lag time) between the movements of the anterior- and posterior-most tongue regions, was determined to be approximately 168 ms. The average time interval (lag) between the movements of the posterior tongue regions was significantly shorter than the intervals between more anterior tongue regions. The results also suggest that during bolus transport movement patterns of the anterior tongue regions are distinct from those of the posterior tongue regions. Future work is needed to determine if the absence of the observed coordinative organization of lingual propulsion is indicative of oral stage dysphagia.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Practical management: vocal cord dysfunction in athletes.

Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is characterized by paradoxical adduction of the vocal folds during inhalation, and occasionally upon exhalation, resulting in extrathoracic airflow obstruction. Sports medicine professionals must have a high index of suspicion for VCD when acute respiratory symptoms occur so that prompt evaluation and use of appropriate specialists results in an accurate and timely diagnosis. Many factors have been implicated in the pathophysiology of VCD, including laryngeal irritants, psychogenic and neurogenic causes. The diagnosis and management of VCD involves a variety of specialties including pulmonology, otolaryngology, speech-language pathology, allergy and immunology, and psychologic management as appropriate. The mainstay of treatment remains behavioral management guided by a medical speech-language pathologist, as well as pharmacologic management for VCD triggers.

Airway Obstruction↗