An electronic device measuring the frequency of spontaneous swallowing: digital phagometer.

A new and portable electronic device called the "Digital Phagometer" is described for the time based counting of spontaneous swallowing. This device is composed of a piezoelectric sensor and a digital event counter/ recorder which can be downloaded to any IBM-compatible PC. The sensor of Digital Phagometer is placed and fixed on the coniotomy region between the cricoid and thyroid cartilage. In this way, it is capable of sensing each upward and downward movement of the larynx produced by spontaneous movement as a function of time. Spontaneous swallowing was measured 1-4 h after lunch in 21 normal subjects and 21 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The mean frequency of spontaneous swallowing was 0.8 counts/min in PD patients and 1.18 counts/ min in normal subjects (p < 0.05). During the intake of 200 ml water, the mean frequency of voluntary swallowing did not differ significantly between the two groups (24.6 counts/min in normals vs. 22.3 counts/min in PD patients), but the time necessary to swallow the same volume of water was longer in the PD group.