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Adapting Human Videofluoroscopic Swallow Study Methods to Detect and Characterize Dysphagia in Murine Disease Models
Published on: March 1, 2015
Biofeedback as an Adjunctive Treatment for Post-stroke Dysphagia: A Pilot-Randomized Controlled Trial
Sara Nordio1, Giorgio Arcara2, Giulia Berta2
1IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Via Alberoni 70, 30126, Venice, Lido di Venezia, Italy. sara.nordio@ospedalesancamillo.net.
Background And Purpose:
Post-stroke dysphagia affects almost half of the survivors and severely influences quality of life, thus becoming swallowing rehabilitation of paramount importance. However, there is little adequate evidence on which the best rehabilitative strategy can be. Surface electromyography (sEMG) allows for recording swallowing muscles' activity and provides real time visual feedback, as a biofeedback adjunctive technique to improve treatment outcome. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of biofeedback rehabilitation of swallowing through sEMG compared to standard techniques, in post-stroke dysphagia.
Methods:
A pilot-randomized controlled trial included 17 patients diagnosed with post-stroke dysphagia. Nine underwent sEMG-biofeedback rehabilitation; seven controls were submitted to control treatment, one dropout. The primary outcome was the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), secondary outcomes was pharyngeal clearance and safe swallowing, assessed through fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES).
Results:
FOIS improved in all patients, regardless of treatment. sEMG-biofeedback rehabilitation led to improvements of the pharyngeal clearance and swallowing safety. The rehabilitative effects appeared stable at 2-months follow-up.
Conclusions:
The application of biofeedback based on sEMG in post-stroke dysphagia patients resulted in an effective rehabilitative technique, in particular for pharyngeal clearance improvements and safe swallowing, thus reducing the risk of aspiration and malnutrition.
