title: Alteration of distal esophageal motor functions on different body positions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study tried to resolve whether changed body position influences esophageal manometric parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pneumohydraulic infusion system was employed to measure esophageal parameters for 32 healthy volunteers. They underwent two consecutive manometries on both supine and sitting positions in a random order. These motility measurements included lower esophageal sphincter pressure, dry/wet swallow induced contractile amplitude and interval of distal esophageal body, and its peristaltic speed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sitting position evoked a higher lower esophageal sphincter pressure than the supine measurement (Mean +/- SD: 14.6 +/- 4.0 mmHg vs. 11.9 +/- 4.2 mmHg, p < 0.01). At the distal esophagus, a swallow led to a stronger contractile amplitude and longer interval on supine measurement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recorded peristaltic speeds in various esophageal segments resulted in a difference while this result was mainly due to the different recorded body positions (p < 0.01). Partial esophageal manometric parameters recorded on sitting position are different from the supine measurement. Hence altered body position may modulate some distal esophageal motor functions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: F Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000502:physiology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D010528:Peristalsis / Q000502:physiology; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure