Impedance Pharyngography to Assess Swallowing Function

Abstract

We evaluated impedance pharyngography (IPG), a new method to assess swallowing function based on changes in the electrical impedance of the neck during swallowing. The electrical impedance of the neck, recorded by the 4-electrode method, changed with the equivalent crosssectional area of the route of the electric current due to reflex activities of related organs during swallowing. IPG waveforms accurately recorded the swallowing process, therefore. We recommend IPG for assessing swallowing function because we expect IPG to provide the following advantages over conventional diagnostic techniques: it is a quantitative method that allows for the objective assessment of swallowing function; it is a simple procedure that is convenient for the patient and could be used for screening; it is inexpensive and non-invasive, so could be performed repeatedly in situations such as rehabilitation; and it uses highly portable equipment suitable for community use.

Assessment of swallowing in motor neuron disease and Asidan/SCA36 patients with new methods

“…The details of the present impedance pharyngography (IPG) system and measurement method were previously reported by Kusuhara et al [17]. IPG is a simple and noninvasive procedure to record electrical impedance via four electrodes for electrical current and potential.…”

“…In the IPG study, four parameters were obtained: Iwp, the duration (s) of the pharyngeal stage; Ipp, the section of Iwp (s) from the beginning of the pharyngeal reflex to the peak whole swallowing sound; Imp, the change ratio in impedance during the pharyngeal stage [(impedance level at rest− at the bottom) (Ω) / impedance level at rest (Ω)]; and, Ns, the number of waves for a single swallowing action (Fig. 1C) [17]. As shown in Fig.…”

“…In contrast, new digital apparatus for assessing maximal tongue pressure (MTP) can selectively evaluate the oral stage [14][15][16]. Furthermore, we have developed new equipment that can selectively assess the pharyngeal stage using impedance pharyngography (IPG) [17]. In this study, we aim to elucidate the swallowing abnormality in Asidan patients in comparison to ALS and SBMA patients using these three techniques.…”

Real-Time Imaging and Detection of Intracranial Haemorrhage by Electrical Impedance Tomography in a Piglet Model

“…Electrical impedance tomography (EIT), a novel technique that constructs images from in vivo impedance changes measured on the body surface, 6,7 is a promising tool for providing diagnostic information about ICH. As a non-invasive, radiation-free, functional imaging technique, EIT offers the possibility of continuous bedside monitoring of various physiological effects and pathological processes.…”

Use of Reaction Time in the Temporal Analysis of Normal Swallowing

“…The analysis of the swallow sounds is interesting because they are constantly present, are easy to locate, and are relatively rich, although their number and duration vary according to different research studies [3,5,[10][11][12][13][14]. Other signals such as the electromyogram (EMG), the airflow rates, and the electroglottogram (EGG), which provide a more detailed analysis, have allowed us to complement these indirect observations [15][16][17]. Finally, the simultaneous use of videofluoroscopy has enabled us to correlate the different electrophysiologic and acoustic signals [18,19] with radiologic findings.…”