Noninvasive brain stimulation may improve stroke-related dysphagia: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Stroke-related dysphagia presents limited treatment options.
• Impaired swallowing function significantly impacts patient recovery and quality of life post-stroke.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with swallowing maneuvers for facilitating swallowing recovery in subacute stroke patients with dysphagia.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 14 patients with unilateral hemispheric infarction.
• Participants received either anodal tDCS or sham stimulation to the unaffected hemisphere's sensorimotor cortex for 5 consecutive days, alongside standardized swallowing maneuvers.
• Dysphagia severity was assessed using the Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS) before and after the intervention period.

Main Results:

• Patients receiving anodal tDCS showed a significantly greater improvement in DOSS scores (2.60 points) compared to the sham group (1.25 points) (P=0.019), after adjusting for confounding factors.
• A higher proportion of patients in the tDCS group (86%) achieved at least a 2-point improvement in DOSS scores compared to the sham group (43%).

Conclusions:

• Noninvasive brain stimulation, specifically anodal tDCS, can enhance sensorimotor control and facilitate swallowing recovery in dysphagic stroke patients.
• Enhancing cortical input to brainstem swallowing centers may be a beneficial strategy for managing post-stroke dysphagia.