SimulScan: MRI that images how your throat moves and how your brain controls swallowing
SimulScan: Simultaneous functional and dynamic MRI for evaluating swallowing across age and in neurogenic dysphagia
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 ID | NIH-11314477 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: 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.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
Champaign, United States
- 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
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 below.