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Abstract

Swallowing can be thought of as the interaction between two distinct, but interrelated phenomena, airway protection and bolus transport. Airway protection requires intact oral, pharyngeal and laryngeal sensory function. Laryngopharyngeal sensory testing specifically assesses a patient’s laryngeal and pharyngeal sensation. The sensory testing technique is described in detail with a focus on key technical points. The utility of sensory testing is also described beyond its application in dysphagia to include the evaluation of patients with acid reflux disease, site of lesion testing in the head and neck and in the evaluation of chronic cough, particularly vagal neuralgia and paradoxical vocal fold motion disorder.

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Correspondence to Jonathan E. Aviv MD, FACS .

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Aviv, J.E. (2013). Laryngopharyngeal Sensory Testing. In: Shaker, R., Easterling, C., Belafsky, P., Postma, G. (eds) Manual of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques for Disorders of Deglutition. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3779-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3779-6_6

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