WATER INGESTION DYNAMICS IN PATIENTS WITH ACHALASIA: INFLUENCE OF SEX AND AGE.

Background: Achalasia is a disease that affects esophageal bolus transit due to the absence of esophageal peristaltic contractions and impaired or absent relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter.

Objective: The objective of this investigation was: a) to evaluate the dynamics of water ingestion in patients with achalasia, idiopathic or caused by Chagas' disease; b) to evaluate the influence of sex and age on water ingestion dynamics.

Methods: The investigation was conducted with 79 patients with achalasia (27 idiopathic and 52 Chagas' disease) and 91 healthy volunteers, all evaluated by the water-drinking test.

VIDEOFLUOROSCOPIC EVALUATION OF SWALLOWS IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA.

Background: There are some studies in the literature about the feeding behavior and masticatory process in patients with feeding disorders; however, it is not very well known if there are alterations in oral-pharyngeal swallowing dynamics in subjects with anorexia nervosa.

Objective: To evaluate the oral and pharyngeal bolus transit in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Methods: The study was conducted with 8 individuals clinically diagnosed and in treatment for restricting-type anorexia nervosa (seven women and one man), and 14 healthy individuals with no digestive or neurological symptoms (10 women, 4 men).

POSTFUNDOPLICATION DYSPHAGIA CAUSES SIMILAR WATER INGESTION DYNAMICS AS ACHALASIA.

Background: - After surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease dysphagia is a symptom in the majority of patients, with decrease in intensity over time. However, some patients may have persistent dysphagia.

Objective: - The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the dynamics of water ingestion in patients with postfundoplication dysphagia compared with patients with dysphagia caused by achalasia, idiopathic or consequent to Chagas' disease, and controls.

Influence of age on swallows of a highly viscous liquid bolus.

Background: Swallow function has a decline with aging, mainly in those over 80 years old. In the population over 69 years, about 11% of subjects reported symptoms indicative of significant dysphagia.

Objectives: Our objective was to evaluate the hypothesis that older asymptomatic subjects before 80 years old have compensations to sustain a safe and efficient swallow, at least with swallows of liquid bolus.

Oral and pharyngeal bolus transit in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Patients with respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), may have swallowing dysfunction.

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing in patients with COPD.

Methods: We studied 16 patients with clinical manifestations and pulmonary function tests diagnosis of COPD (mean age: 68 years) and 15 nonsmoking healthy volunteers (mean age: 65 years) with normal pulmonary function tests.

Timing of Pharyngeal Swallow Events in Chagas' Disease.

Background: Esophageal involvement by Chagas' disease causes a significative decrease in the number of neurons of the esophageal myenteric plexus, causing an impairment of esophageal motility with the same alterations described in primary esophageal achalasia. There is also a longer duration of pharyngeal transit, which might be consequent of the involvement of the central control of swallowing by the disease, or an adaptation of the pharynx to the difficult bolus transit through the esophagus, which could contribute to the complaint of dysphagia.

Methods: We studied, by videofluoroscopy, the sequence and timings of pharyngeal bolus transit in 16 patients with esophageal involvement by Chagas' disease and 12 healthy volunteers.

Variability of Oral and Pharyngeal Transit Between Two Consecutive Swallows in Chagas' Disease.

Background: Chagas' disease causes dysphagia, regurgitation and retention of food in the esophageal body. Patients have longer pharyngeal clearance, which might be consequent of the involvement of the central nervous system or an adaptation to the esophageal transit impairment. If there is central nervous system involvement by the disease, we expect a larger difference in the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing between two consecutive swallows than that seen in controls.

The relationship between the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate a possible relationship between the duration of the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing.

Introduction: The oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing are independent from each other but may be related.

Methods: We used videofluoroscopy to evaluate 30 healthy volunteers between 29 and 77 years of age who swallowed 5- and 10-ml liquid and paste boluses in duplicate.

Videofluoroscopic evaluation of swallowing in Chagas' disease.

Dysphagia is the most common digestive symptom reported by patients with Chagas' disease. The condition results from abnormalities of esophageal motility. Our hypothesis is that there are also alterations of oral and pharyngeal transit during swallowing.

Effect of gender on swallow event duration assessed by videofluoroscopy.

There are data suggesting that women swallow liquids at a lower flow rate and ingest smaller volumes in each swallow than men. Our objective in this work was to compare swallowing in asymptomatic men and women by videofluoroscopy. We studied 18 men [age = 33-77 years, mean = 61 (10) years] and 12 women [age = 29-72 years, mean = 53 (15) years] who swallowed in duplicate 5 and 10 ml of liquid and paste barium boluses.