Pressure Flow Analysis in the Assessment of Preswallow Pharyngeal Bolus Presence in Dysphagia

Figure 1

Pharyngeal HRMI and derivation of AIM analysis metrics. (a) Videofluoroscopic images of the catheter in situ in 43-year-old male subject. Consecutive images of a 10-liquid bolus swallow at 0.5 sec before swallow, at swallow onset, and at 0.5 ms after swallow onset. (b) A pressure topography plot of the swallow with impedance waveforms and an example of a PFA metric: PNadImp and PeakP superimposed on the plot. Landmarks defined for AIMplot analysis are marked (1: swallow onset time, 2: position of UES proximal margin post swallow, and 3: position of velopharynx). (c) An illustration showing calculation of the main PFA analysis metrics in the pharynx region. Note: a similar analysis was also applied to the UES region to derive UES Nadir Impedance.