Functional magnetic resonance and swallowing: critical literature review,

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: Aspects of the neuroanatomical representation of swallowing have been investigated in humans through brain mapping techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). OBJECTIVE: This critical qualitative review of the literature analyzed international scientific publications in the PubMed database that investigated the activation of the central nervous system in humans during the act of swallowing. METHODS: This investigation was limited to articles that investigated adults older than 18 years, published in English or Portuguese, between January 2002 and December 2013. Publications that did not have access to the full text, that were repeated by overlapping keywords, case studies, literature reviews, letters to the editor, and those not directly related to the topic of the investigation were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 649 articles were identified, of which 21 matched the inclusion criteria. CONCLUSION: The main purpose of the manuscripts that investigate the swallowing process through fMRI were: to characterize swallowing in different pathologies; to compare swallowing in different age groups; to describe brain activation in different stimulation conditions. These studies indicate multiple cortical regions involved in swallowing control. Overall, the studies indicate that fMRI is a non-invasive and quantitative method that allows the investigation of characteristics that are quite often not clinically visible.

引言：吞咽的神经解剖表征相关研究已通过脑图谱技术在人体中开展，例如功能磁共振成像（functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI）。
研究目的：本次批判性定性文献综述，针对PubMed数据库中探究人体吞咽过程中枢神经系统激活情况的国际科学文献展开系统分析。
研究方法：本研究限定纳入2002年1月至2013年12月期间发表、以英语或葡萄牙语撰写、针对18岁以上成年人的相关研究文章。排除无法获取全文、关键词重复、病例报告、文献综述、编辑信函以及与本研究主题无直接关联的文献。
研究结果：最终共检索到649篇文献，其中21篇符合纳入标准。
研究结论：通过功能磁共振成像探究吞咽过程的相关研究主要有三类核心方向：一是刻画不同病理状态下的吞咽特征；二是对比不同年龄群体的吞咽差异；三是描述不同刺激条件下的脑激活模式。此类研究表明多个皮层区域参与吞咽调控。总体而言，现有研究证实功能磁共振成像是一种非侵入性且可量化的研究方法，可用于探究诸多临床难以直接观测的吞咽相关特征。