![]() ![]() Instead of trying to stop their body’s natural response, a person with a sensitive gag reflex may consider using techniques to desensitize or pause it when necessary. These may include anxiety about the procedure, the dentist touching physical trigger points, the taste of the dentist’s gloves, and the sound of dental tools. This combination of psychogenic and somatogenic stimuli can explain why some people may gag only under certain circumstances.įor example, a person may not gag when engaging in their own oral hygiene but might gag when a dentist performs it due to multiple triggers being present at the dentist’s office. A person may, therefore, also gag due to certain sights, sounds, and smells. Physical and mental stimuli can be separate events or happen at the same time. ![]() Somatogenic and psychogenic stimuli combined Therefore, a person may gag when experiencing an unpleasant thought. Generally, a psychogenic stimulus is a response to disgust. PsychogenicĪ psychogenic stimulus is a mental trigger that causes a person to gag. Some people may gag from a very gentle touch on a trigger point, while others may be able to tolerate a more intense sensation before gagging. In this instance, the gag reflex is an attempt to prevent a person from choking or swallowing something potentially dangerous.Īlthough trigger points in the mouth may vary, a gag reflex will typically occur when something stimulates the base of the tongue, the uvula, or the tonsil area. The activation of a trigger point causes nerve signals to pass to the brain, which then signals the pharynx to contract. ![]() In relation to oral trigger points, this may be a large piece of food or a foreign object. SomatogenicĪ somatogenic stimulus is one that physically makes direct contact with a trigger point. The Mallampati score is assessed in order to evaluate the feasibility of gag reflex test in case of higher Mallampati scores.Īll patients are tested once by one examiner.Two types of stimuli can trigger a gag reflex: somatogenic and psychogenic. The study protocol foresees testing of gag reflex in different oral areas (tongue, velum, pharyngeal wall) and evaluating present reactions. The present study aims at assessing the prevalence of gag reflex in healthy and neurological cohorts. ![]() In both studies it was not stated to what extent the gag reflex could be examined in case of a high Mallampati score. 89% of the patients without gag reflex had dysphagia and 31% without dysphagia had a gag reflex. (1995) have shown that in 37% of healthy volunteers gag reflex was absent. The presence of gag reflex in healthy cohorts and dysphagic patients has been examined in a few studies. Furthermore, even if gag reflex is absent, swallowing does not have to be impaired. In clinical experience of investigators testing of gag reflex highly depends on patients´compliance and individual anatomical features such as Mallampati score. (1997) aspiration can be predicted with 96% sensitivity in case of absent or abnormal gag reflex. In the clinical swallowing examination in acute stroke setting it is assumed that the absence of gag reflex is a predictor of aspiration risk.
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