Emma Barnett, McKenzie Michalski, and Catie Powell, “The Impact of Progressive Chin Tuck Against Resistance (P-CTAR) on Geniohyoid Cross-Sectional Area”
Mentor: Barbara Pauloski, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology (School of)
Poster #36
Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, occurs as a result of many disease processes as well as normal aging. One important mechanism essential for healthy swallowing function is hyolaryngeal elevation, which contributes to both swallow safety and swallow efficiency. Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) is an evidence-based intervention proven effective at increasing hyolaryngeal elevation. The current limitation of CTAR is that load is not progressively increased during the course of the exercise program. This study examined the effects of a 6-week Progressive Chin Tuck Against Resistance (P-CTAR) exercise program on the geniohyoid muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) in healthy adults. P-CTAR provides progressive resistance by increasing the internal pressure of an exercise ball by 2 PSI every two weeks. Fifteen participants (ages 21-55) were enrolled in a repeated measures within-subjects design. The exercise involved squeezing a ball to the chest with the chin for 1-minute holds, followed by 30 compress-and-release repetitions, performed five times per week for six weeks. B-mode ultrasound imaging was conducted at baseline, Week 2, Week 4, and Week 6 to measure the submental suprahyoid musculature. For each assessment, participants were seated in an upright position with a research-quality headset and ultrasound transducer positioned to capture the geniohyoid muscles bilaterally. Images were analyzed using ImageJ v.1.46r software, with CSA calculated by outlining the muscle circumference. The study found an increase in the geniohyoid CSA from baseline to Week 4, followed by a decline by Week 6. Specifically, the mean CSA was 2.13 at baseline, 2.24 at Week 2, 2.34 at Week 4, and 2.27 at Week 6. These findings suggest that while the P-CTAR program may initially promote muscle growth, its effects may diminish over time. Further assessment of participant compliance with the 6-week program may provide additional insight into the decrease in CSA at the end of the study.