Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation in Dysphagia Poststroke: A Prospective, Randomized Single-Blinded Interventional...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) is a potential therapy for post-stroke dysphagia.
• PES may enhance cortical plasticity and improve swallowing function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of PES for swallowing recovery in stroke patients with a longer follow-up period.
• To assess the safety and tolerability of PES in this patient population.

Main Methods:

• A single-blinded randomized trial involving 36 dysphagic patients within 6 weeks of stroke.
• Patients received either active or sham PES via a pharyngeal catheter for 10 minutes over 3 days.
• Outcomes included the Dysphagia Severity Rating (DSR) scale and Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS).

Main Results:

• At two weeks post-PES, 61% of patients receiving active stimulation had improved DSR scores (DSR <4).
• Active PES showed trends towards faster hospital discharge and nasogastric tube removal compared to sham.
• No adverse effects or serious complications were associated with PES.

Conclusions:

• Observed differences suggest PES may accelerate swallowing recovery in the initial two weeks post-intervention.
• Suboptimal patient recruitment limits definitive conclusions.
• Study data and experience will inform a larger, definitive randomized trial.