Abstract. Single-axis swallowing accelerometry has shown potential as a non-invasive clinical swallowing assessment tool. Previous swallowing accelerometry research has focused exclusively on the anterior–posterior vibration detected on the surface of the neck. However, hyolaryngeal motion during pharyngeal swallowing occurs in both the anterior–posterior and superior–inferior directions, suggesting that dual-axis accelerometry may be worthy of investigation. With this motivation, the present paper provides a characterization of dual-axis swallowing accelerometry signals from healthy adults in the time and time–frequency domains. Time-domain analysis revealed that signals in the two axes exhibited different probability density functions, and minimal cross-correlation and mutual information. Time–frequency analysis highlighted inter-axis dissimilarities in the scalograms, pseudo-spectra and temporal evolution of low- and high-frequency content. Therefore, it was concluded that the two axes contain different information about swallowing and that the superior–inferior axis should be further investigated in future swallowing accelerometry studies.

Keywords: swallowing, deglutition, dysphagia, dual-axis, accelerometry, time–frequency

Print publication: Issue 9 (September 2008)
Received 30 May 2008, accepted for publication 18 July 2008
Published 28 August 2008