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Published on: March 1, 2015
Measurement of surface electromyography activity during swallowing in paediatrics: a scoping literature review
1Rose Centre for Stroke Recovery and Research, School of Psychology Speech and Hearing, University of Canterbury, 249 Papanui Road, Christchurch, 8052, New Zealand. ksenia.bykova@canterbury.ac.nz.
Insights
Surface electromyography (sEMG) is feasible for assessing swallowing in children, including those with cerebral palsy (CP) and dysphagia. Further research is needed to explore sEMG biofeedback for pediatric dysphagia therapy.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Clinical Neurophysiology
- Pediatric Rehabilitation
Background:
- Surface electromyography (sEMG) offers diagnostic and therapeutic potential for various health conditions.
- sEMG biofeedback is established as beneficial for adults with swallowing disorders (dysphagia).
- Evidence for sEMG in pediatric dysphagia management is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility of using sEMG during swallowing tasks in pediatric populations.
- To describe findings from studies involving children with cerebral palsy (CP) and dysphagia.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of pediatric publications using sEMG during swallowing or chewing tasks.
- Searches conducted across seven major databases without language or date restrictions.
- Inclusion criteria focused on sEMG application in pediatric swallowing assessments.
Main Results:
- 116 publications confirmed the feasibility of sEMG for pediatric swallowing, despite some data collection challenges.
- 15 publications detailed sEMG use in 177 participants with CP, with 10 focusing on dysphagia.
- Five studies specifically recruited children with both CP and dysphagia.
Conclusions:
- sEMG acquisition during swallowing tasks is feasible across diverse pediatric diagnoses, including CP and dysphagia.
- Future research should explore integrating sEMG biofeedback into pediatric dysphagia therapy.
- sEMG shows promise for improving swallowing function assessment and treatment in children.
Abstract:
Surface electromyography (sEMG) could be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in various health conditions. For example, sEMG biofeedback is shown to be beneficial in adults with swallowing disorders (dysphagia), whereas there are no easily identifiable studies to support such evidence in paediatrics. The current review aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing sEMG during swallowing tasks in paediatric populations with various diagnoses. Additionally, the review aimed to describe findings in publications involving participants with cerebral palsy (CP) and dysphagia. Paediatric-related publications were sourced using English keywords and phrases across the following seven databases: PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. The search included all available publications without language and date restrictions. Publications using sEMG during chewing tasks were also accepted in the review as chewing is considered to be part of the act of swallowing. The feasibility of measuring sEMG during swallowing in children with various health conditions was supported by 116 publications (n = 6 literature reviews) that met the inclusion criteria for the final full-text review. However, a few publications described some difficulties occurring directly during the sEMG data collection sessions. The review identified 15 publications involving 177 participants with CP who underwent sEMG while swallowing (n = 1 publication focused solely on the assessment of chewing). Ten publications described studies that recruited children with dysphagia. Children with CP who had dysphagia were recruited in five of these studies.
Conclusions:
The acquisition of sEMG measurements while performing swallowing tasks was shown to be feasible in children with various diagnoses including those who have CP and dysphagia. Future studies should investigate the implementation of sEMG as a part of paediatric dysphagia therapy alongside biofeedback swallowing skill training.
What Is Known:
• Surface electromyography (sEMG) could be implemented for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in various health conditions. • Biofeedback using sEMG is beneficial in adults with swallowing disorders (dysphagia).
What Is New:
• Implementation of sEMG was shown to be feasible during swallowing tasks in paediatric populations with various diagnoses, including dysphagia and cerebral palsy. • The usage of sEMG biofeedback as a part of paediatric dysphagia management should be investigated in future studies.
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