Reliability of the Kinovea bidimensional System for Measuring Buccal Movement in a Sample of Italian Adults

The purpose of this study was to assess reliability of Kinovea bidimensional system for measuring buccal movement in frontal or lateral perspectives. This software was used to analyse participants’ buccal movements in the anticipatory phase of swallowing. The participants assumed five different types of stimuli diversified on the basis of the volume of the bolus and the size and type of aid (straw or spoon). Thirty-two measurements based on movements of the mouth were recorded using the Kinovea programme. Reliability of 32 measurements was evaluated with Cronbach’s alpha and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results of this study show that the scale has an optimal internal consistency and correlation between items. Thus, using Kinovea software to analyse and study buccal movement can provide clinicians and researchers with important information about the anticipatory phase of swallowing.