CSD class 16

Muscles of the Soft Palate: Speech

Close the velopharyngeal opening, or velopharyngeal port, for all oral sounds

Muscles of the Soft Palate: Swallowing

Close off the velopharyngeal port so that food and liquid do not enter the nasal cavity

What sounds cause the soft palate to be depressed

/m/, /n/, and “ng”

Soft Palate or Velum

A combination of muscles, palatine (=palatal) aponeurosis, nerves, and blood supply covered by mucous membrane lining

Palatine Aponeurosis

Makes up the mid-front portion of the soft palate

Levator Veli Palatini

Origin: Temporal Bone; Eustachian Tube

Insertion: Palatine Aponeurosis

Action: Elevates Soft Palate

Palatoglossus

Origin: Palatine Aponeurosis

Insertion: Sides of Tongue

Action: Pulls soft palate toward tongue, elevates back of tongue

Palatopharyngeus

Origin: Palatine aponeurosis and posterior margin of hard palate

Insertion: Upper border of thyroid cartilage

Action: Narrows the pharynx, lowers the soft palate

Tensor Veli Palatini

Origin: Sphenoid Bone, Eustachian Tube

Insertion: Palatine Aponeurosis

Action: Dilates the Eustachian Tubes, tenses soft palate

Muscularis Uvulae

Origin: Posterior Nasal Spine

Insertion: Palatine Aponeurosis

Action: Adds bulk and stiffness to velum

Swallowing

A complex process

A large series of neuromuscular systems and movements are involved for the process to be initiated and executed properly

Mastication

Chewing

Deglutition

Swallowing

Phases of Swallowing

1. Oral Preparatory Stage (mastication)

2. Oral Stage (propulsion of bolus)

3. Pharyngeal Stage (pharyngeal swallow)

4. Esophageal Stage (esophageal transit)

Oral Preparatory Phase

Voluntary control, goal of preparing the bolus to begin digestion and transport through the swallowing mechanism

Mastication

Food is mixed with saliva to form a bolus in preparation for swallowing

Oral Phase

Voluntary control

The initiation of this phase of swallowing is marked by tongue movement that results in posterior transport of the bolus into the pharyngeal cavity

It begins with the tip of the tongue is placed at the alveolar ridge

Respiration ceases during this phase of swallowing to maintain adequate airway protection

Soft palate is elevated

Tongue is depressed and pulled backward

The anterior portion of the tongue is elevated to the hard palate and squeezes the bolus backward

Pharyngeal Phase

Involuntary and Voluntary

Involuntary: Once initiated, it cannot be reversed

Voluntary: Complex and sequential control of muscles to protect airway from bolus

Initiated about the time when the bolus head is passing any point between the anterior faucial pillars and the ramus of the mandible

The bolus passes from the pharynx into the esophagus, taking less than one second

Respiration ceases reflexively at this point

Velum is elevated

Tongue is retracted

Lips are sealed

A tight seal is formed to protect the airway

The bolus passes over epiglottis through the pyriform sinuses to the esophagus

How to protect the airway

Vocal folds are closed

False vocal folds are closed

Epiglottis is depressed

Larynx is elevated

Esophageal Phase

Involuntary

The bolus is transported down the esophagus into the stomach during the esophageal phase

Swallowing involves peristaltic (wavelike) movement of the bolus through the esophagus