Activation of cerebellum and basal ganglia on volitional swallowing detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Although regions of the sensorimotor cortex, insula, and anterior cingulate gyrus are reported to be activated during swallowing, findings concerning contributions of the cerebellum and basal ganglia have been contradictory. We investigated cerebellar and basal ganglionic activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In 11 subjects, single-shot gradient-echo echoplanar image volumes sensitive to BOLD contrast were acquired in block design fashion using an oblique orientation covering both cerebrum and cerebellum.

The evaluation of dysphagia following radical surgery for oral and pharyngeal carcinomas by cine-magnetic resonance imaging (Cine-MRI).

Cine-magnetic resonance imaging (cine-MRI) creates moving pictures by a video system and turbo-flash method that allow for high-speed MRI. This report describes our experience using this new technique for dynamic imaging using the fast spoiled GRASS (SPGR) sequence to study swallowing in patients with dysphagia following radical surgery for oral cancer. We defined two new parameters, laryngeal elevation and the angle of the epiglottis, to quantify swallowing ability by cine-MRI.