Introduction: Deglutition, an essential act for the body’s nutrition and hydration, is performed through a coordinated sequence of complex and interlinked neuromuscular events. This requires precise coordination among its phases, which will favor deglutition with no food or saliva entering the airways. Aim: This study aims to analyze the laryngeal movements during deglutition and to verify its impact on airway protection. Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective study approved by Ethical Committees in Research under protocol numbers 2013/008 and 362.826 that analyzes an image database from the correlation of two assessors, whose study objects are laryngeal movements during deglutition and the outcome of airway protection quality. Fifty-two deglutition video fluoroscopic swallowing studies were analyzed, 26 from males and 26 from females with average age of 76 years. The exams were carried out over one year at a Radiology and Imaging Service in a Primary Health Center, where two independent assessors evaluated laryngeal movements during deglutition, presence of dysphagia, and airway protection quality with liquid and pasty consistencies. Results: The assessors agreed in all analyzes performed. Among the statistically significant laryngeal movements, inappropriate laryngeal elevation and anteriorization, i.e., lack of anteriorization, reduced elevation, and incomplete and repeated laryngeal elevation, were the most harmful for airway protection. Conclusion: The impact of the lack of or inappropriate laryngeal elevation and anteriorization movements affect the deglutition process and promote laryngeal penetration and tracheal aspiration, which leads to dysphagia.
