Development of a device to evaluate the bolus transport force of pharyngeal swallowing

抄録

We developed a device to evaluate the bolus transport force in the pharyngeal stage of swallowing, and evaluated its validity and reliability. A catheter was inserted through the nostril, with its lower end placed in the pharynx to detect the transport of the catheter toward the esophagus during swallowing. Its upper end was connected to an aluminum plate with a strain gauge outside the mouth. The peak value of the strain during swallowing was measured, and was defined as the bolus transport force. The intra‐rater reliability and the inter‐rater reliability of the measurement for each test maneuver were evaluated. When the catheter was placed 2 cm above the esophageal orifice it could detect the swallowing movement, and consistent strain waveforms could be recorded while simultaneously recording videofluoroscopic data. The interclass correlation coefficient of the intra‐ and inter‐rater reliabilities were greater than 0.7 for dry swallowing, swallowing of 3 mL of water, and swallowing of 5 mL of water. This information is considered appropriate for this research. The device for measuring the bolus transport force was capable of detecting the pharyngeal bolus transport movements. In addition, the reliability of the measurement device was confirmed by examination of the intra‐ and inter‐rater reliabilities. (J Osaka Dent Univ 2019; 53: 71‐79)