Anatomy and physiology of respiration

With an eye toward communicative and related disorders, this review addresses ventilatory control and respiratory function during speech production and deglutition. Although many basic questions concerning normal speech breathing have been answered, a survey of the literature published during the past year shows that the characterization of speech breathing anomalies associated with functional, structural, and motor-based disorders is far from complete. A few descriptive studies have provided only a rudimentary understanding of the systematic breathing changes that occur during the visceral and somatic swallow, as well as of the associated respiratory consequences. In particular, the interrelationship of respiratory distress and aspiration warrants further attention by researchers and clinicians.