Comparison of Ultrasound and Videofluoroscopic Imaging Techniques in Diagnosing Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Neurologically Impaired Subjects

Patients with neurological or neuromuscular conditions may be silent aspirators or at risk for laryngeal penetration or aspiration because of abnormal oropharyngeal functioning and thus are at risk for aspiration pneumonia and its serious effects. By providing identification of the components of the abnormal swallow, and comparing swallowing across tasks, we may avoid aspiration and can instruct patients on preventative or compensatory swallowing techniques. We will study the oral, pharyngeal and upper esophageal phases of swallow using both ultrasonic imaging and videofluoroscopy in patients with neurologic, genetic, systemic, and neuromuscular conditions. Most of the previous studies of swallowing have utilized only one diagnostic imaging technique and have thus provided an incomplete swallowing assessment as each procedure has unique, but limited capabilities for visualizing the anatomy and physiology of the swallow. We also plan to compare discrete and continuous swallowing in these populations. While the motor physiology for discrete swallowing (i.e., single swallow) has been well studied, little is known about the details of oral, laryngeal, and pharyngeal coordination during sequential swallowing as a part of continuous drinking--a common event in everyday eating. A portion of the protocol will study the effects of fast-paced movement sequencing on the coordination of the tongue, velum, larynx, and pharynx during continuous drinking. Videofluoroscopy and ultrasound may be paired or used individually to collect data from normal subjects and patients with known dysphagia while they perform sequential and discrete swallowing tasks. A number of timing and displacement measurements of the structures activated during these tasks will be made from the digitized video images of each swallow, and analyses will be carried out subsequently across tasks and subjects.