Patient case (clinical description): A 67-year-old woman comes to the clinic due to recent episode of choking, dysphagia, and cough.  Her other medical problems include hypertension, dyslipidemia, and osteoarthritis.  She does not smoke or use alcohol. She lives with her husband and she is able to do her own daily activities. She used to teach elementary school. Blood pressure is 135/80 mm Hg.  The patient's breath smells bad. Other physical examinations are normal.  A barium swallow study reveals an abnormality in the upper esophagus with an outpouching at the junction of the lower part of the throat and the upper portion of the esophagus.

Patient's own account: I'm a 67-year-old lady, and I went to the clinic due to nonstop choking, difficulty swallowing, and coughing. I also suffer from hypertension, cholesterol, and osteoarthritis. I do not smoke or drink alcohol. I live with my husband, and we are independent retired elementary school teachers. During the exam, my blood pressure was 135/80 mm Hg. The doctor told me I had a smelly breath. How embarrassing! The rest of my physical exam was normal. I did a barium swallow test, which is an X-ray of my throat, which revealed a problem in the upper part of my esophagus, where there's a small pouch or bulge at the spot where my throat meets the esophagus.

Clinical trial: Rehabilitation Manometry Study

Eligibility criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

          -  Pathological Group

               -  Must have dysphagia as diagnosed by a licensed and certified otolaryngologist,
                  gastroenterologist, or speech-language pathologist AND must have a dysphagia
                  treatment plan that includes one of the following primary goals:

                    -  Therapy to strengthen oropharyngeal musculature

                    -  Medical or surgical management to relieve an obstruction at the upper
                       esophageal sphincter

               -  Must agree to comply with swallowing assessment, including interview and
                  manometry

               -  Must sign the Informed Consent form approved by the Health Sciences Institutional
                  Review Board of the University of Wisconsin

          -  Normal Group

               -  Having no swallowing disorders

               -  Must agree to comply with swallowing assessment, including interview and
                  manometry

               -  Must sign the Informed Consent form approved by the Health Sciences Institutional
                  Review Board of the University of Wisconsin.\

        Exclusion Criteria:

          -  Pathological Group

               -  Therapeutic management plan already initiated prior to recruitment

               -  Therapy goals including only improvement of swallowing coordination

               -  Developmental disability, dementia, cognitive dysfunction, or difficulty
                  comprehending instructions

               -  Positive history of allergic response to topical anesthetic

               -  Allergy to food relevant to study participation (e.g. lactose intolerance)

          -  Normal Group

               -  Known swallowing disorder

               -  Developmental disability, dementia, cognitive dysfunction, or difficulty
                  comprehending instructions

               -  Positive history of allergic response to topical anesthetic

               -  Allergy to food relevant to study participation (e.g. lactose intolerance)
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 99 Years

Eligibility (NLI label): Entailment