Table 1.

Upper Airway Afferents and Types of Stimuli Activating Systems and Triggering Laryngeal Reflexes

Systems or Reflexes	Upper Airway Afferents	Type of Stimulus
Swallowing	Glossopharyngeal mechanoreceptors	air puff stimuli to anterior oral faucial pillar
Swallowing	Internal Branch of the Superior Laryngeal nerve	Repeated electrical stimulation
Cough	Tracheal afferents innervated by the Recurrent nerve	Capsaicin to unmyelinated C fibers
Aspiration Reflex or Gasp	Pharyngeal afferents	Tactile stimulation in the pharynx
Laryngeal Adductor Reflex	Internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve	Electrical stimulation to the internal branch
Laryngeal Adductor Reflex	Mechanoreceptors in mucosa overlying the arytenoids, ventricular folds	Air puff stimulation or electrical stimulation to the mucosa
Laryngeal Expiration Reflex	Internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve or recent	Tactile stimulation of the vocal folds or tracheobronchial tree
Pharyngoglottal Closure Reflex	Glossopharyngeal receptors in the pharynx	Water stimulation in the hypopharynx