Use of Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Determine Correlations between the Repetitive Saliva Swallowing test and the Brain Regions Involved in Swallowing

• Published in: Rigaku ryoho kagaku Vol. 29; no. 5; pp. 775 - 778
• Main Authors: Tamari, Makoto, Utsunomiya, Hidetsuna, Takahashi, Seiichirou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 14.03.2015
• ISSN: 1341-1667

Purpose: This study investigated correlations between the repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) and brain regions involved in swallowing using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Subjects: Forty-eight healthy Japanese right-handed volunteers (37 men, 11 women; age, 27-75 years) Methods: DTI was conducted on a 1.5-T MRI system. Each region of interest (ROI) was manually selected from brain regions found to be involved in swallowing in an f-MRI study. Fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of each ROI were measured using a workstation, and the correlations between these values and RSST were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results: ADC values of the left insula correlated with RSST. Conclusion: The insula integrates the sensory-motor system for swallowing and may be associated with the swallowing motion, whereas the left insula may contribute to voluntary, continual swallowing.