Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Simultaneous Laryngopharyngeal and Conventional Esophageal pH Monitoring
Published on: December 14, 2020
Proximal Esophageal Impedance Contour Predicts Increased Reflux Burden in Patients With Laryngopharyngeal Symptoms
Daniel R Sikavi1, Jennifer X Cai1,2, Ryan Leung2,3
1Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Introduction:
The value of esophageal baseline impedance (BI) in assessing proximal reflux and laryngopharyngeal symptoms (LPSs) is unclear.
Methods:
Two hundred eighteen patients with LPS underwent 24-hour combined hypopharyngeal-esophageal impedance-pH monitoring. Proximal/distal BI was obtained, and a slope-and-intercept model of proximal BI contour was constructed.
Results:
Proximal BI correlated with proximal/pharyngeal reflux (r = -0.21, P < 0.01) and reflux symptom index (r = -0.14, P = 0.08). The proximal BI contour model incorporating both the BI change (slope) and BI just below upper esophageal sphincter (intercept) outperformed models using individual BI measures in predicting proximal (Akaike information criterion: 110 vs 251-253) or pharyngeal (akaike information criterion: 32 vs 141-148) reflux.
Discussion:
Proximal esophageal impedance contour predicts proximal reflux in patients with LPS.
Related Concept Videos
Topographic Surveying and Contours
Predicting Molecular Geometry
Esophageal Varices-I: Introduction
Impedance Combination
Increasing Function
Impedances and Admittance
Impedance is a measure of resistance to sinusoidal current flow in an AC circuit. Unlike their behavior in DC circuits, where inductors appear as short circuits and capacitors as open circuits, the behavior of these components in AC...

