No more tubes? new test uses stickers and magnets to spot swallowing issues
NCT ID NCT04074356
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests two new, non-invasive ways to diagnose swallowing disorders (dysphagia) using skin electrodes and a magnetic sensor instead of a tube inserted through the nose. Researchers will compare these methods to the standard tube-based test in 90 adults. The goal is to see if the new techniques can reliably tell normal swallowing from conditions like achalasia.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a simple, non-invasive diagnostic test for swallowing problems, replacing uncomfortable tube-based procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 90 participants, so the results may not apply to everyone. The new methods may not be accurate enough to replace current tests.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2019
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults ≥ 18 years of age who are undergoing HRM for routine standard of care evaluation for esophageal motility. * Normal control participants (ages ≥ 18 years) who have no known gastrointestinal complications. Exclusion Criteria: * Those with claustrophobia who cannot lie still under the SQUID for the length of time required * Due to interference with signal acquisition, subjects with contraindication to undergoing an MRI scan as noted in the MRI Safety checklist by Vanderbilt University Medical Center (such as with heart pacemakers, metal implants, or metal chips or clips) will not undergo SQUID, but can still be eligible to do cutaneous EESG. * Morbid obesity (these patients are potentially unable to lie under the current generation of SQUID devices) * Patients with a history of cardiac arrhythmias or taking anticoagulants will be excluded
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee, 37232, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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