Alteration of distal esophageal motor functions on different body positions.
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.
Chang
F Y
FY
Division of Gastroenterology, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Lee
C T
CT
Yeh
C L
CL
Lee
S D
SD
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