SimulScan: MRI that images how your throat moves and how your brain controls swallowing
Official title: SimulScan: Simultaneous functional and dynamic MRI for evaluating swallowing across age and in neurogenic dysphagia
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11314477 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a new MRI technique to capture both 3D throat movement and brain activity during swallowing in adults with age-related or neurologic swallowing problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $573,480 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG078513-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11314477 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with swallowing difficulties, especially those with neurologic causes such as stroke or Parkinson's disease or age-related swallowing changes, would be the best candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children under 18, people with non-neurologic mechanical blockages of the throat, or anyone who cannot safely have an MRI (for example because of certain implants) are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
You would lie in an MRI and swallow while a new fast imaging approach takes high-resolution 3D pictures of both the moving throat and the brain signals that drive swallowing. The team will refine and validate the method so the images are clear and fast enough to match real swallowing events. They plan to test it across a range of adult ages and in people with neurogenic dysphagia from conditions like stroke or Parkinson's disease. If successful, the scans could link specific brain activity patterns to the mechanical problems that cause a person’s swallowing issues.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors pinpoint the exact brain and throat problems causing dysphagia and guide more personalized treatments to reduce choking, pneumonia, and malnutrition.
How similar studies have gone: This simultaneous 3D functional-and-dynamic MRI approach is novel—building on recent fast MRI techniques but not yet widely proven in clinical dysphagia care.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sutton, Bradley P — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Sutton, Bradley P
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Wearable biofeedback device to help swallowing after neurologic injury
This project helps people with swallowing problems from neurologic conditions use a small wearable sensor that shows neck muscle activity to guide exercises and improve swallowing.
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Reducing Burden for Care Partners of People with Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias
This project tests a user-friendly Web tool to help care partners of people with dementia manage oropharyngeal dysphagia and reduce daily caregiving burden.
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InHANCE: Radiation-Related Swallowing Difficulty in Head and Neck Cancer
A patient-focused program aims to understand and reduce swallowing problems caused by radiation therapy in head and neck cancer survivors.
-
Non-Invasive Dysphagia Detection for Preterm Infants
A new non-invasive tool analyzes a premature baby’s bottle feeding behavior to detect swallowing difficulties early.
-
Web program to help caregivers safely feed loved ones with dementia who have trouble swallowing
A web-based program to teach family caregivers how to manage swallowing problems and reduce the stress of feeding a loved one with Alzheimer’s or related dementia.
-
Wearable biofeedback to improve swallowing after neurological diseases
A wearable biofeedback device helps adults with neurogenic dysphagia improve swallowing through guided exercises and remote coaching.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.