Patient case (clinical description): A 50-year-old woman comes to the clinic complaining of difficulty swallowing both liquids and solid foods, as well as occasional cough while eating.  She also has difficulty lifting her arms above her head and getting up from a chair. The weakness seems to get worse gradually. The patient has no prior medical problems and takes no medications.  Vital signs are normal.  Physical examination shows an erythematous rash on the upper eyelids. There are some red papules over joints of her hands. The rest of the physical examination is unremarkable. Antinuclear antibodies, anti-Jo-1 antibodies and anti-MDA5 antibody are positive.  Muscle biopsy shows perifascicular inflammation and atrophy of the fascicle and surrounding blood vessels.

Patient's own account: I had to go to the clinic because of difficulty swallowing all kinds of food, liquid and solid. I also sometimes cough when I eat my dinner. At only 50 year old, I had some difficulties lifting up my arms and getting up from a chair! And it's only getting worse! I never had any medical issues in the past and I'm not under any medication, I just don't get it! My vitals were normal. The physical exam showed a red rash on my upper eyelids. I also have red papules on my hands' joints. After a blood test, they told me that my antinuclear antibodies, anti-Jo-1 antibodies, and anti-MDA5 antibodies were positive.  I also did a muscle biopsy and it showed that I had an atrophy of my blood vessels around my muscle fibers and that I have an inflammation of these.

Clinical trial: Movement of Epiglottis During Swallowing

Eligibility criteria:
-  INCLUSION CRITERIA:

        Included subjects will be healthy adults age 18-65 years with normal swallowing function,
        as determined with a medical history and physical examination by an otolaryngologist.

        EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

        Exclusion criteria include the following circumstances:

          -  Subjects must not have a history of chronic swallowing difficulty or dysfunction.

          -  Pregnant volunteers will be excluded due to risks associated with radiation exposure.

          -  Women who are nursing will be excluded.

          -  Subjects must not currently be suffering from a psychiatric disorder other than
             depression, as evidenced by being under the care of a psychiatrist, or on medications
             for treatment of a psychiatric disorder.

          -  History of brain injury or neurological disease.

          -  History of epileptic seizure.

          -  History of Rheumatic fever, mitral valve prolapse, heart murmurs, or cardiac
             arrhythmias as determined by medical history, physical and EKG will disqualify a
             subject.

          -  Subjects must not be taking any medications, including herbal types that can affect
             coagulation.

          -  Subjects will be excluded if they have a history of allergies to lidocaine or any
             other anesthetic medication.
No condition on gender to be admitted to the trial.
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Subject must be at least 18 Years old.
Subject must be at most 65 Years

Eligibility (NLI label): Contradiction