Electrical stimulation and swallowing training in treating post-stroke dysphagia / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effects of neuromuscular stimulation (NMES) intensity on post-stroke dysphagia.Methods Thirty patients with dysphagia resulting from a stroke were randomly divided into a control group,an NMES group,and an intensive NMES group,with 10 patients in each.The 3 groups all received conven-tional swallowing training.Patients in the NMES group also received NMES once a day and those in the intensive NMES group received it twice a day.Kubota's water drinking test and videofluoroscopy were used to assess the subjects' swallowing function before treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment.Results After 2 weeks,the average water drinking test score was significantly better in the intensive NMES group than in the control group.The fluoroscopic results of all three groups had improved significantly,but the results in the NMES group and the intensive NMES group were significantly better than those of the control group.The intensive NMES group also scored significantly higher than the NMES group.Conclusion NMES can improve the swallowing reflex and the contraction of the suprahyoid muscles.It can strengthen the effect of re-learning swallowing.Two NMES sessions a day are better than one.