Clinical Research Studies

Difficulty swallowing (known as dysphagia) can have devastating consequences for health and quality of life. The current gold-standard assessment tool, videofluoroscopy (VF), allows real time visualization of swallowing via a video x-ray. Unfortunately, VF exposes the patient to radiation and therefore is limited in its use. A relatively new technique for quantifying swallowing physiology is called High Resolution Pharyngeal Manometry (HRPM) - it registers the pressures generated by the swallowing muscles on a catheter passed through the nose to the esophagus. Our team (speech pathology, otolaryngology, gastroenterology) recently acquired an HRPM system and is eager to employ it in our research grants with a focus on aging, disease progression, and treatment for swallowing disorders. However, at this time, very little is known about the test-retest reliability of this tool which leaves us unable to conduct realistic power calculations in these proposals. Therefore, we will plan to collect VF/HRPM test-retest data in 20 older adults two weeks apart.