Ultrasound: Validity of a Pocket-Sized System in the Assessment of Swallowing.
Katharina Winiker, Emma Burnip, Kristin Gozdzikowska and 4 others
PMID 33389177WHAT IT FOUND
A pocket-sized ultrasound scanner did not match videofluoroscopy for measuring how the hyoid and larynx move during swallowing in 20 healthy adults.
It tracked hyoid movement during saliva swallows, but not during liquids or purees, and failed entirely for thyrohyoid approximation.
Key findings
01The pocket-sized ultrasound system poorly reflected videofluoroscopic measurements of hyoid excursion and thyrohyoid approximation, except for hyoid excursion during saliva swallowing.
02Ultrasound and videofluoroscopy showed significant correlation for hyoid excursion during dry and liquid swallows, but no significant association for puree or for any thyrohyoid approximation measure.
03The authors concluded that clinical use of this specific pocket-sized system for swallowing assessment is not indicated at this time.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted only on healthy adults, so findings may not apply to people with dysphagia. The sample size was very small (20 participants). Concurrent imaging was technically challenging and may have compromised image quality due to scanner instability and radiation safety distances. Measurement methods differed between the two instruments (e.g., superior vs. inferior border of thyroid cartilage for thyrohyoid approximation). Reliability was only assessed on a small subset of the data.
Declared interests
Funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that all pocket-sized ultrasound devices are invalid for swallowing assessment. This study tested one specific system (Clarius) in healthy adults with technical difficulties during concurrent imaging. The authors state that further research is needed to determine if the issues are specific to this device or to pocket-sized technology generally.