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Effortful swallowing training combined with electrical stimulation in post-stroke dysphagia: a randomized controlled
Jin-Woo Park1, Youngsun Kim, Jong-Chi Oh
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Siksa-dong, Ilsandong-gu, Gyeonggi-do, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea. jinwoo.park.md@gmail.com
Dysphagia
|March 27, 2012
Summary
Effortful swallow training with motor electrical stimulation improved laryngeal excursion in post-stroke dysphagia patients. This novel resistance training approach shows promise for enhancing swallowing function after stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Dysphagia is a common and debilitating condition following stroke.
- Current rehabilitation strategies for post-stroke dysphagia often focus on compensatory or rehabilitative swallowing exercises.
- Surface electrical stimulation (SES) offers a potential adjunct to traditional therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of effortful swallow training combined with infrahyoid motor surface electrical stimulation (SES) as a resistance exercise for post-stroke dysphagia.
- To compare the effects of motor SES versus sensory SES on swallowing biomechanics.
Main Methods:
- Twenty post-stroke dysphagic patients were randomized into two groups: experimental (effortful swallow + motor SES) and control (effortful swallow + sensory SES).
- Intervention involved 12 sessions over 4 weeks, with motor SES adjusted to elicit muscle contraction.
- Biomechanical outcomes including hyolaryngeal excursion and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening were measured before and after training.
Main Results:
- The experimental group showed a significant increase in maximal vertical laryngeal displacement post-intervention (p < 0.05).
- Increases in hyoid bone displacement and UES opening width were observed in the experimental group, though not statistically significant (p = 0.066).
- No significant improvements were noted in the control group.
Conclusions:
- Effortful swallow training augmented with motor surface electrical stimulation effectively enhances laryngeal excursion in post-stroke dysphagia.
- This combined approach represents a promising new therapeutic strategy for improving swallowing function in this patient population.
