Protocol for Tongue Elastography and Ultrasound Markers

The purpose of this observational is to methodologically assess the standardisation and reliability of a protocol of ultrasound lingual markers, including tongue shear-wave elastography, attenuation indexes, and echo intensity in adult healthy subjects. The main goals are to create a standardized protocol and its intra- et inter-rater reliability, in order to gather some data in a non-pathological population. This protocol will be used in further studies in the context of tongue fat accumulation, such as in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Participants will be lying in supine position and after basic descriptive data collection (height, weight, neck circumference), submental ultrasound will be performed on them. This procedure is non-invasive, painless, safe (ultrasound does not involve ionising radiation) for the healthy participants.

NCT Number	NCT07024069
Lead Sponsor	Haute Ecole Bruxelles-Brabant
Conditions	Healthy, Healthy Individuals (Controls)
Enrollment	55 participants
Start Date	2024-09-05
Primary Completion	2025-04-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-12-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-01-05