Clinical study on swallowing function of brainstem stroke by tDCS.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Clinical Neurology

Background:

• Dysphagia is a common and serious complication following brainstem stroke.
• Conventional rehabilitation offers some benefits but often has limitations in restoring swallowing function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) when added to conventional comprehensive rehabilitation for dysphagia in brainstem stroke survivors.
• To compare the outcomes of tDCS combined with rehabilitation versus rehabilitation alone.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 40 brainstem stroke patients, divided into tDCS and conventional treatment groups.
• Both groups received 8 weeks of swallowing function training; the tDCS group received additional tDCS.
• Swallowing function was assessed using Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS) and Functional Dysphagia Scale (FDS) via Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Studies (VFSS).
• Biomarkers including white blood cell (WBC), c-reactive protein (CRP), prealbumin (PAB), albumin (Alb), and hemoglobin (Hb) were measured.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed significant improvements in DOSS and FDS scores, reduced WBC and CRP, and improved Alb and Hb levels (P < 0.05).
• The tDCS group demonstrated superior improvements in swallowing function and nutritional markers compared to the conventional group (P < 0.05).
• No significant difference was observed in PAB levels between the groups (P=0.474).

Conclusions:

• Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) integrated with conventional rehabilitation is an effective strategy for enhancing swallowing function in brainstem stroke patients.
• This combined approach also positively impacts nutritional status and helps reduce infection markers.
• tDCS offers a promising adjunctive therapy for post-stroke dysphagia management.