Sonographic Assessment of Laryngeal Elevation

Sponsor
National Taiwan University Hospital (Other)
Overall Status
Unknown status
CT.gov ID
NCT00166751
Collaborator
(none)
60
1
14
4.3

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

Ultrasonographic examination has long been used to assess the swallowing function. It has the advantages of no ionizing radiation on examination and the possibility of using the real food instead of the barium meal in testing. Thus, the subjects can be examined repeatedly and in a more physiological status of swallowing. However, the ultrasonographic examination is only used in assessing the oral phase of swallowing. It can accurately visualize the tongue movement, measure the oral transit time of bolus, and sometimes the hypoid bone motion, but has not been applied on the evaluation of pharyngeal phase of swallowing. Physically, laryngeal elevation is an essential component of the swallowing movement on pharyngeal phase. It ensures the occlusion of airway and opening of criopharymgeus muscle, and thus prevents the aspiration. To evaluate the laryngeal elevation is crucial point in managing the dysphagic patients.

The purpose of this project is to measure the laryngeal elevation in normal and in dysphagic patients with cerebrovascular (CVA) accident using ultrasonographic techniques. This work will include four group subjects. The first group consists of 20 young subjects (< 40 years); the second group consists of 20 age-matched normal subjects; the third group consists of 20 CVA patients without swallowing problems, and the fourth group consists of 20 CVA patients with dysphagia, which was proven by VFSS. The laryngeal elevation is detected by ultrasound with the transducer placing between the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage. The two markers are easily detected on sonogram because of the presence of acoustic shadow, a specific character of bony structure on sonogram. The distance between the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage before and during swallowing is measures and compared among the groups. The distance change of the patients with dysphagia is further compared with that defined by VFSS. With the result of this study, we will understand the status of laryngeal elevation during swallowing in normal and dysphagic subjects, and further determine the accuracy of ultrasonographic measurement in measuring the laryngeal elevation. With this knowledge, we might extend the usage of ultrasonographic examination on evaluating swallowing function.

Condition or Disease Intervention/Treatment Phase

    Detailed Description

    Dysphagia is a common problem in rehabilitation medicine. To accurately evaluate its disorder is crucial in managing this group patient. Videofluoroscopic examination of swallow (VFSS) is generally regarded as the "gold standard" in the assessment of oropharyngeal dysphagia, especially in the detection of laryngeal penetration or subglottic aspiration. However, its limitations are widely acknowledged. VFSS cannot be performed widely because of its radiation exposure, is a single time measure, where as aspiration may be a variable phenomenon. Moreover, VFSS may over diagnose the disorder of swallowing function since the unflavored barium could disturb deglutition ability of the patients, particularly in those who having impaired cognitive function. As a result, the researchers have sought for more reliable bedside evaluation methods to detect aspiration. Various bedside clinical evaluations such as neurological examination, water swallow test, and swallowing provocation test have been used in identifying predicting or aspiration. However, when considered against the gold standard VFSS, prediction rate for aspiration was still unsatisfactory. Seeking for more non-invasive and objective method of evaluating swallowing function is continuing by many researches.

    Ultrasonographic examination has long been used to assess the swallowing function. It has the advantages of no ionizing radiation on examination and the possibility of using the real food instead of the barium meal in testing. Thus, the subjects can be examined repeatedly and in a more physiological status of swallowing. However, the ultrasonographic examination is only used in assessing the oral phase of swallowing. It can accurately visualize the tongue movement, measure the oral transit time of bolus, and sometimes the hypoid bone motion, but has not been applied on the evaluation of pharyngeal phase of swallowing. Physically, laryngeal elevation is an essential component of the swallowing movement on pharyngeal phase. It ensures the occlusion of airway and opening of criopharymgeus muscle, and thus prevents the aspiration. To evaluate the laryngeal elevation is crucial point in managing the dysphagic patients.

    The purpose of this project is to measure the laryngeal elevation in normal and in dysphagic patients with cerebrovascular (CVA) accident using ultrasonographic techniques. This work will include four group subjects. The first group consists of 20 young subjects (< 40 years); the second group consists of 20 age-matched normal subjects; the third group consists of 20 CVA patients without swallowing problems, and the fourth group consists of 20 CVA patients with dysphagia, which was proven by VFSS. The laryngeal elevation is detected by ultrasound with the transducer placing between the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage. The two markers are easily detected on sonogram because of the presence of acoustic shadow, a specific character of bony structure on sonogram. The distance between the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage before and during swallowing is measures and compared among the groups. The distance change of the patients with dysphagia is further compared with that defined by VFSS. With the result of this study, we will understand the status of laryngeal elevation during swallowing in normal and dysphagic subjects, and further determine the accuracy of ultrasonographic measurement in measuring the laryngeal elevation. With this knowledge, we might extend the usage of ultrasonographic examination on evaluating swallowing function.

    Study Design

    Study Type:
    Observational
    Observational Model:
    Case-Control
    Time Perspective:
    Other
    Official Title:
    Sonographic Assessment of Laryngeal Elevation in Cerebrovascular Accident Patients With Dysphagia
    Study Start Date :
    Sep 1, 2005
    Study Completion Date :
    Nov 1, 2006

    Outcome Measures

    Primary Outcome Measures

      Eligibility Criteria

      Criteria

      Ages Eligible for Study:
      18 Years and Older
      Sexes Eligible for Study:
      All
      Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
      Yes
      Inclusion Criteria:
      • 1.stroke with clear consciousness 2.Abnormal videofluoroscopic examination 3.Good cooperation
      Exclusion Criteria:
        1. Lung infection 2. Can not oral feeding

      Contacts and Locations

      Locations

      Site City State Country Postal Code
      1 Tyng-Guey Wang Taipei Taiwan

      Sponsors and Collaborators

      • National Taiwan University Hospital

      Investigators

      • Principal Investigator: Tyng-Guey Wang, MD, National Taiwan University, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University

      Study Documents (Full-Text)

      None provided.

      More Information

      Publications

      None provided.
      Responsible Party:
      , ,
      ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
      NCT00166751
      Other Study ID Numbers:
      • 9361701221
      First Posted:
      Sep 14, 2005
      Last Update Posted:
      Oct 28, 2005
      Last Verified:
      Dec 1, 2004
      Keywords provided by , ,
      Additional relevant MeSH terms:

      Study Results

      No Results Posted as of Oct 28, 2005