title: Real-time magnetic resonance imaging of normal swallowing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of a novel real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique for the assessment of normal swallowing dynamics.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cohort of 10 healthy subjects, real-time MRI movies at 24.3 frames per second were obtained in sagittal, coronal, and axial orientation during self-controlled swallows of 5 mL pineapple juice as oral contrast bolus. All studies were performed with the use of a commercial MRI system at 3 T combining two sets of radiofrequency receiver coils. Real-time movies relied on a fast low-angle shot (FLASH) MRI sequence with radial undersampling and image reconstruction by nonlinear inversion yielding 41.23 msec acquisition time for an in-plane resolution of 1.5 mm. Evaluations focused on clinical image quality as well as visualization and temporal quantification of distinct swallowing functions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Throughout the entire process, the swallowing dynamics were well depicted and characterized with almost no visible image artifacts in all subjects. The mid-sagittal plane turned out to be most valuable. The movies allowed for a quantitative determination of the temporal pattern of all swallowing events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed real-time MRI technique yields noninvasive, robust, and quantitative access to the physiology of normal swallowing in healthy subjects at high temporal resolution and image quality.
authors.affiliation: Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH am Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, Germany. szhang1@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olthoff
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frahm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003199:Computer Systems; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity