Motor Learning: Swallow Neurophysiology Series by Down the Hatch - The Swallowing PodcastBy Down the Hatch - The Swallowing Podcast

Are there foundational principles that ALL SLPs should know about cranial nerve testing? Are we are checking off a list of nerves we've probed or are we tying behaviors we see back to function? What about relevance to the central nervous system? Dr. Kendrea Garand joins hosts Ianessa Humbert and Alicia Vose in a discussion about how to conduct and …

96.3% of Speech Language Pathologist self-identify as female. In this episode of Down the Hatch Podcast, we are joined by 4 male SLPs to discuss the female dominance of our profession. Our guests Ryan Bransky, Rick McAdoo, Dan Weinstein, and Anthony Avitabile engage in a deep, tangential discussion (trigger warning: strong language at times). But r…

Sensation is largely overlooked in swallowing science and clinical practice. Why? It's difficult to test and to interpret! In this episode of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast), special guest Rachel Mulheren, Ph.D., discusses sensation as it relates to swallowing. How are sensation and perception different? How do we use cranial nerve sensory …

Do you decide which patients will have swallowing therapy or modified diets? Are you aware of your role in modifying Experience Dependent Plasticity as a clinician managing swallowing impairments? In this episode of Down the Hatch (Swallowing Podcast), co-hosts Ianessa Humbert and Alicia Vose continue the Swallowing Neurophysiology Series and discu…

Back by popular demand, Down the Hatch’s Swallowing Physiology Series is now focused on neural control! In our Swallowing NEUROPhysiology Series, hosts Drs. Ianessa Humbert and Alicia Vose focus on concepts related to the central nervous system, not just because it controls swallowing, but also because it is among the most poorly understood and hig…

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has drastically changed health care practice around the world. Many medical speech language pathologists are uncertain about how and whether to continue managing patients with swallowing impairments (dysphagia), and if so... whom? In this episode of Down the Hatch, special guests with expertise in swallowing rese…

There were some issues with the original release of this eposide, so this is a re-release:Original description: It happens every time. A particular question is posed by one member of an audience of speech language pathologists who treat dysphagia. The question is cautious with a hint of frustration: How do I deal with inadequate modified barium swa…

The field of Speech Language Pathology is 95% white female. As a result, efforts to increase diversity in this discipline have been ongoing, yet somewhat unsuccessful. It is possible that issues surrounding the whiteness of SLPs could be better explored with open conversations about this matter. Is it a problem? Would more diversity improve patient…

“I just listened to your DTH podcast with Jim. In my humble opinion I think this podcast should be required listening for every SLP student and every SLP everywhere who deals with dysphagia….”“To expose what has become a very comfortable lie in exchange for the integrity and power of the truth is likely the greatest kindness one human can offer to …

Head and neck cancer can cause devastating swallowing problems, requiring a unique approach. This episode of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast) includes guest Heather Starmer, M.A., CCC-SLP who has extensive clinical and research expertise in dysphagia due to head and neck cancer. In addition to basics that make this population distinct, we di…

“I don’t want to be too dramatic, but the NPO is almost like a death sentence … I really think that it should be the last recourse and not the beginning”. This one of many sincere opinions from an individual who has been living with a significant swallowing disorder. In this episode of Down the Hatch, the swallowing podcast, co-hosts Alicia Vose an…

What is an expert? Do more years of experience guarantee a deepening of knowledge? Do scientists think differently than clinicians? In this episode of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast), hosts Alicia Vose and Ianessa Humbert discuss how to obtain knowledge, with an emphasis on swallowing and swallowing disorders. This episode was created in re…

In this last episode of The Swallowing Physiology Series, hosts Alicia Vose and Ianessa Humbert tackle both the pharynx and the upper esophageal sphincter (UES). This includes Down the Hatch Podcast (swallowing podcast)covers structure, function, and relevance to aspiration and residue for the pharynx and UES. We also discuss whether traditional ex…

Laryngeal vestibule closure (LVC)is one of the most complicated and critical swallowing events, but it remains poorly understood. In this episode of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast), we continue the Swallowing Physiology Series, with Ianessa and Alicia discussing the ins and outs of LVC and why it is often misunderstood and under-appreciated…

Recently, an overwhelming 92% of clinicians responded “NO” to the question: Did you feel prepared to assess and treat swallowing disorders upon graduation (Plowman & Humbert 2018). 45% of SLP survey respondents think that more dysphagia courses would improve competency (McCoy & Desai 2018). To help address this need, Down the Hatch (The Swallowing …

ASHA... What are you doing for your membership? For quality improvement of dysphagia management? This is a common question among ASHA members. In this installment of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast)Host Ianessa Humbert is joined by ASHA President hopeful Luis Riquelme PhD and colleague Ed Bice to discuss ASHA's role in maintaining clinical c…

Recently, an overwhelming 92% of clinicians responded “NO” to the question: Did you feel prepared to assess and treat swallowing disorders upon graduation (Plowman & Humbert 2018). 45% of SLP survey respondents think that more dysphagia courses would improve competency (McCoy & Desai 2018). To help address this need, Down the Hatch (The Swallowing …

Recently, an overwhelming 92% of clinicians responded “NO” to the question: Did you feel prepared to assess and treat swallowing disorders upon graduation (Plowman & Humbert 2018). 45% of SLP survey respondents think that more dysphagia courses would improve competency (McCoy & Desai 2018). To help address this need, Down the Hatch (The Swallowing …

Do you think we need more swallowing therapies? Do you hand out a standard list of therapy worksheets for many of your patients with swallowing problems? Have you ever thought "Tell me what to do!" when faced with making decisions about treating patients? In this installment of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast), Alicia and Ianessa discuss the…

The data are abysmal! In a recent publication, partly authored by Down the Hatch Hosts Alicia Vose and Ianessa Humbert, we reveal that SLP identification of swallowing impairments is poor to moderate. Why? Many could not differentiate disordered swallowing events from normal ones. In this installment with Special Guests Justine Allen and Michela Mi…

To address feeding and swallowing impairments in the pediatric population, one requires highly specialized knowledge. Still, pediatric dysphagia is extremely understudied and underfunded and SLP clinicians often learn on the job. In this episode, Dr. Emily Zimmerman, an expert in pediatric dysphagia, primes the Down the Hatch (Swallowing Podcast)li…

The field of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) faces a critical shortage of the faculty essential to train the future workforce of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. Despite a predominance of women in the field, men receive doctoral degrees, academic leadership positions, and ASHA awards at disproportionately higher rates than …

Diet modifications and swallowing exercises are a mainstay in dysphagia rehabilitation, but do they truly prevent aspiration pneumonia or rehabilitate impaired swallowing? Do researchers have a responsibility to conduct studies that justify or refute frequent SLP use of thickened liquids, swallowing compensatory strategies and/or maneuvers? In this…

Does more pharyngeal residue mean that there is reduced pharyngeal pressure? Do greater pharyngeal pressures occur when swallowing thicker boluses? Does the Mendelsohn Maneuver reduce UES pressures? Dr. Corinne Jones of the University of Wisconsin (Madison) joins Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast) as our special guest. We discuss Dr. Jones' ar…

This installment is focused on the topic of weakness and fatigue. Have you ever decided that one of your dysphagic patients needs strength training? If so, can you define weakness or fatigue? In this episode, we discuss weakness and fatigue with Dr. Leo Ferreira, an associate professor in the department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology at the Un…

"If we've got an area of our field where somebody dies because we made a mistake, then we have got to have standards the same way every other medical profession does." Julie Barkmeier Kraemer, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, a voice, swallowing, and airway disorder expert, roused up your Down the Hatch (Swallowing Podcast)hosts Ianessa and Alicia and in our Expert…

Do you feel that SLPs are at the mercy of Radiology? Is there any chance that SLPs could run videofluoroscopy studies by themselves? In this installment of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast) our special guest is Jen Sirera R.T. (R), BHSc, CIIP, the Technical Director (and former Radiology Technologist) of Radiology at Shands Hospital at the Un…

2017 was a year with several hot topics in dysphagia management. Join Alicia Vose and Ianessa Humbert with special guest Ed Bice as they discuss electrical stimulation, thermal tactile stimulation, ASHA, cookbook therapy, cyber bullying and many more exciting topics.By Down the Hatch - The Swallowing Podcast

Are you a research-thumping, Evidence Based Practice evangelical? Or, perhaps you are tired of hearing that your go-to therapies are “not evidence based”? This installment of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast), entitled “Evidence Based Practice or Theory Based Practice” explores whether Evidence Based Practice is scientifically sound and pract…

Down the Hatch (Swallowing Podcast) lucky number 13!Dr. Catriona Steele, a prolific scientist and swallowing expert, launches the first episode in our series called EXPERT RANT on the following 3 topics: 1. Revisiting the Clinical Swallowing Evaluation from Down the Hatch 12: Screen versus Evaluation? 2. Do Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores of 4 …

The Clinical Swallowing Evaluation (CSE) is a critical part of dysphagia management. However, it is often misused and over interpreted. In this high-energy installment of Down the Hatch (The Swallowing Podcast) SLPs Rinki Varindani Desai and Beth Shah, along with Hosts Ianessa Humbert and Alicia Vose, discuss whether the CSE should really be consid…

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much SLP solidarity exists at your work place? Take a listen to the newest Down the Hatch swallowing podcast where Alicia Vose and I explore the challenges and benefits of SLP Solidarity with our friends and fellow Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) Dan Weinstein and Ed M Bice.…

In this 10th installment of Down the Hatch, the podcast about swallowing, hosts Ianessa Humbert and Alicia Vose talk with guest Andre Gaboriau, M.A., CFY-SLP and returning guest Rinki Varindani Desai, M.S., CCC-SLP about the state of dysphagia education and training at the university/college level, clinical externships, and at the CFY level.…

It happens every time. A particular question is posed by one member of an audience of speech language pathologists who treat dysphagia. The question is cautious with a hint of frustration: How do I deal with inadequate modified barium swallow study reports from other speech language pathologists? In this Down the Hatch #9 (Swallowing Podcast), Alic…

Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) is a device driven-therapy based in exercise physiology principles and used in dysphagia management. Although it is a non-swallowing treatment, it is known to have important utility in increasing the effectiveness of cough. Hosts Ianessa Humbert and Alicia Vose discuss the ins and outs of EMST with SLP and…

So, what's the deal with e-stim? A question that is often asked. In this episode of Down the Hatch (the podcast about swallowing), doctoral student and SLP Alicia Vose and Assoc. Prof and mentor Ianessa Humbert re-unite after a brief hiatus to take up a controversial topic in dysphagia management - electrical stimulation. I think this topic is in k…

The researcher-clinician divide in dysphagia management is real. In this installment of DOWN THE HATCH (the swallowing podcast), clinician SLP Rinki Varindani Desai M.A., CCC-SLP and researcher Ianessa Humbert, Ph.D.,CCC-SLP (host of Down the Hatch) candidly discuss the problems and possible causes of the researcher-clinician divide among professio…

Parkinson's Disease (PD) can lead to swallowing disorders (dysphagia). Swallowing disorders in PD can be serious because it can lead to aspiration pneumonia, which is one of the most common causes of death in PD. In response to a special request by the National Parkinson Foundation (www.parkinson.org), this installment of Down the Hatch (The Swallo…

Physicians play a critical role in dysphagia management, even though swallowing may not have been included in their medical training. This installment of Down the Hatch features a conversation with Dr. Michael Okun, Department Chair of Neurology and Co-Director of the Movement Disorders Center of the University of Florida. We discuss the lack of tr…

Swallowing clinicians made it clear that they want more CEUs on normal swallowing at the March 2016 Critical Thinking in Dysphagia Management meeting. In this podcast, Alicia and Ianessa bust a few myths regarding normal characteristics of swallowing and unnecessary dysphagia diagnoses. They also discuss how a clear understanding of normal swallowi…

Not all swallowing clinicians have access to instrumental examinations, such as videofluoroscopy or fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, but almost all swallowing clinicians can do clinical examinations. In this episode of Down the Hatch, Ianessa and Alicia weigh in on the merits of leaning too heavily on either clinical examinations or …