Ultrasound And Videofluoroscopic Imaging In Oral-pharyng

Clinical Center

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

We are currently analyzing the swallowing data from a group of patients with Sydenham's Chorea who have been followed over the course of their recovery. We are using both ultrasound and videofluorography to examine effects of disease severity and time since appearance of chorea symptoms on swallowing and oral motor function. Patients were seen for baseline and followup evaluations where ultrasound and videofluorographic swallowing studies were administered along with complete oral motor function examinations. Data on swallowing performance on patients with corticobasal degeneration and apraxia of swallowing are still being analyzed. We completed a study to determine the kinematic strategies that are used during randomized discrete and sequential swallows on 30 subjects age 20 to 79 years. Significant differences were revealed for these two tasks relative to age, gender and movement of the hyoid bone in support of a theory of motor performance that suggests that the deglutitive motor system is more flexible than previously known. We have completed a study of 10 patient evaluating the effects of pallidotomy on swallowing and did not find any significant trends for this procedure on swallowing performance. A subset of patients with Cystinosis who were seen in the late 1980's and 1990's are being re-evaluated. The effects of cystagon and kidney transplantation in this group of subjects will be evaluated. To date, of the 10 returning subjects, it appears that 50% have not developed dysphagia or clinically observable changes in oral motor function.