Table 3.
Comparison of demographic, clinical, and swallowing parameters, as well as MEG task performance between the MEG-participants with normal and decreased cognition
| Parameter | MoCA ≥ 26 | MoCA ≤ 24 | p value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age ± SD | 75.5 ± 4.5 | 79.0 ± 6.4 | 0.05 |
| Sex m/f | 6/14 | 11/9 | 0.11 |
| Median MoCA (mode, range) | 28 (27, 26–30) | 23 (23, 18–24) | < 0.001* |
| FEES | |||
| Median total swallowing score (mode, range) | 13 (12, 5–37) | 12.5 (12, 2–35) | 0.37 |
| Median cognitive dual-task cost (range) | 1.1 (0.4–1.9) | 1.3 (0.6–5.0) | 0.07 |
| Median motor dual-task cost (range) | 1.2 (0.7–1.8) | 1.3 (0–3.0) | 0.22 |
| MEG | |||
| Max. head movement (mm) (mean ± SD) | 4.5 ± 2.1 | 7.0 ± 6.9 | 0.42 |
| No. of swallows ± SD | 42 ± 12 | 35 ± 13 | 0.10 |
| EMG power (µV) (mean ± SD) | 115.6 ± 145.9 | 127.2 ± 196.5 | 0.84 |
| EMP peak-to-peak amplitude (µV) (mean ± SD) | 414.4 ± 269.9 | 452.5 ± 338.0 | 0.57 |
| Incorrect/missing responses, left (n ± SD) | 0.5 ± 0.8 | 2.0 ± 2.2 | 0.028* |
| Reaction time for button pressing, left (ms ± SD) | 571.3 ± 59.5 | 631.2 ± 139.4 | 0.09 |
| Incorrect/missing responses, right (n ± SD) | 0.9 ± 1.3 | 1.9 ± 2.2 | 0.06 |
| Reaction time for button pressing, right (ms ± SD) | 560.8 ± 54.0 | 639.1 ± 130.2 | 0.10 |
EMG electromyography, f female, m male, MoCA Montreal Cognitive Assessment
*Significant p-values