Abstract
A research group led by Professor Takashi Miura, Professor Yoshihiro Ogawa, Associate Professor Eikichi Ihara at Kyushu University, Professor Shin-Ichiro Ei at Josai University, and Assistant Professor Hiroshi Ishii at RIES Hokkaido University has developed a new, simple mathematical model that reproduces the characteristic movements of the human esophagus.
Many people occasionally experience difficulty swallowing. Such dysphagia often results from abnormal esophageal motility and is medically significant as it can lead to various diseases, such as aspiration pneumonia. In recent years, advances in techniques for measuring esophageal movements have revealed several unusual patterns unique to the esophagus, but the mechanisms behind these phenomena have remained unclear.
In this study, the group successfully developed a framework to elucidate these mechanisms by combining high-precision peristaltic movement measurement techniques with mathematical models. This model reproduces the flow from “brain commands” to “neural networks in the intestine” to “muscle movements,” and particularly incorporates a mechanism akin to an “on-off” switch in the lower esophageal sphincter. Using this model, the researchers were able to simulate not only how a normal esophagus transports food, but also various pathological motility patterns described in the international Chicago Classification, by adjusting key parameters.
This research provides new insights into the causes of esophageal diseases and may contribute to the development of innovative treatment strategies. The findings of this study were published in the British journal “Royal Society Open Science” on August 20, 2025.
Information of the paper
- Title
- A mathematical model of human oesophageal motility function
- Authors
- Takashi Miura, Hiroshi Ishii, Yoshitaka Hata, Hisako Takigawa-Imamura, Kei Sugihara, Shin-Ichiro Ei, Xiaopeng Bai, Eikichi Ihara, Yoshihiro Ogawa
- Journal
- Royal Society Open Science
- DOI
- 10.1098/rsos.250491
- URL
- https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.250491
Laboratory of Mathematical Modeling
