Motor imagery and swallowing: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT

Objetive:

to identify, in the literature, studies that address the use of motor imagery of swallowing.

Methods:

a systematic review in SCOPUS databases, Science Direct and Medline, with descriptors and free terms "Motor Imagery"; "Swallow"; "Feeding"; "Stomatognathic System"; "mastication ", "Chew "; "Deglutition "; "Deglutition Disorders "; and "Mental Practice". Original articles using the motor imagery of swallowing were included, while reviews were excluded. For data analysis, at the first and second steps, the reading of titles and abstracts of the studies was carried out. In the third step, all studies that were not excluded were read in full.

Results:

four manuscripts were selected. The use of motor imagery in the rehabilitation of swallowing shows to be a recent proposal (2014-2015). The sample was reduced and comprised mainly healthy individuals. The EMG of the supra-hyoid muscles was used in two manuscripts. The most used neuroimaging technique was the Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, demonstrating the occurrence of hemodynamic changes during motor imagery and motor execution of swallowing.

Conclusion:

the motor imagery produces brain response in the motor area of the brain, suggesting that mentalization of actions related to swallowing is effective. However, further studies are needed for the application of this approach in the swallowing rehabilitation.

Keywords:
Stomatognathic System; Swallow; Mastication; Deglutition Disorders; Feeding