Electromyography biofeedback training for post-stroke dysphagia

Dysphagia is a common complication of ischemic stroke and is usually difficult to treat. The mainstay of standard therapy of post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) is effortful swallowing. Since its introduction in 2004, there is increasing evidence that surface electromyography-guided biofeedback training (EMGBT) can enhance the therapeutic effect of standard LE. In this editorial, we comment on the article by Meng et al published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Clinical Cases, which provided evidence that particularly extensive EMGBT with an increased number of sessions is definitively more effective than the standard speech therapy or ordinary EMGBT. Among the 90 PSD patients with ischemic stroke or intracerebral bleeding, those who underwent EMGBT in more sessions than usual particularly benefited from the approach. It was concluded that EMGBT is more effective than traditional swallowing training in improving dysphagia and swallowing disorders as well as hyoid-laryngeal complex movement speed in PSD patients.