Title: 14: A reassessment of the respiratory function of upper airway muscles
Abstract: The mammalian pharynx is a musculomembranous tube ideally adapted to ingesting a varied diet or modulating and modifying the acoustic output of the larynx. However, as an element of the respiratory tract, the pharynx has little bony or cartilaginous support, leaving the airway susceptible to collapse.
Narrowing or obstruction of the pharyngeal airway is normally prevented by the action of skeletal muscles located within or attached to the pharyngeal wall. It has been assumed that the muscles responsible for maintaining airway patency are those which act to widen the airspace, such as the genioglossus and palatoglossus, and there has been considerable interest in the neural control of these airway dilator muscles.
Muscles which act to narrow the airway, such as tongue retractor and pharyngeal constrictor muscles, may play a role in regulating expiratory airflow but otherwise were not thought to have a major respiratory function. However recent findings suggest that these muscles, by stiffening the wall of the pharynx and immobilising the tongue, may be important in stabilising the airway and preventing obstruction. The effect of these muscles on pharyngeal collapsibility may depend upon the activity of other pharyngeal muscles and the initial resting size of the airspace. Furthermore it remains to be seen whether there are differences in respiratory function between different components of the pharyngeal constrictor apparatus. Developing a detailed understanding of the motor and reflex control of pharyngeal muscles and the biomechanical result of their activation promises to be an important, complex and challenging problem.
Publication Year: 2002
Publication Date: 2002-02-01
Language: en
Type: article
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