Introduction

Deglutition disorders arise from a wide range of pathologies. Among the mechanisms detectable with manometry-impedance are impaired upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening and reduced muscle contractility, which can lead to ineffective bolus transport and symptoms such as choking and aspiration.

If you have completed Parts 1 and 2 of the Online Course, you should know how to analyse high-resolution manometry-impedance recordings using the Swallow Gateway web application, and be able to apply this knowledge to objectively derive swallow function data.

Precisely how to use this information is an evolving field. Nevertheless, there is a growing understanding of which measures are likely to prove most useful for characterizing disordered pharyngeal motor function, and these are summarized here.