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Health TopicsDigestive Health
question

What is a oropharyngeal motility (swallowing) study?

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
answer
Also called a modified barium swallow test, this procedure is used to evaluate difficulty in swallowing. The patient is given small amounts of a liquid containing barium to drink with a bottle, spoon, or cup. Barium is a metallic, chemical, chalky, liquid used to coat the inside of organs so that they will show up on an x-ray. A series of x-rays are taken to evaluate what happens as the liquid is swallowed.

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