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Updated: May 14, 2026

Breathing-controlled Electrical Stimulation (BreEStim) for Management of Neuropathic Pain and Spasticity
Published on: January 10, 2013
Electrical stimulation for the management of aspiration during swallowing
Dustin J Tyler1, Ilya Kolb, Paul Thompson
1Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. dustin.tyler@case.edu
Abstract:
Protection of the airway during swallow is often compromised following stroke and other neurological diseases. If a patient fails to recover airway protection with standard therapy, they are often left with few if any options to avoid repeated pneumonia resulting from aspiration. For them, the only option is no food by mouth and a PEG-tube for nutrition. Functional electrical stimulation offers possible solutions for restoring airway protection. Here we report the capabilities of transtracheal stimulation for vocal fold closure and selective stimulation of the XII cranial nerve to produce elevation of the hyolaryngotracheal complex. These stimulation locations add to our toolbox for managing swallowing difficulties and allow patients to maintain oral feeding.
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