Effects of Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation on Swallow Timings, Clearance and Safety in Post-Stroke Dysphagia: Analysis from the Swallowing Treatment Using Electrical Pharyngeal Stimulation (STEPS) Trial.

ABSTRACT: Swallowing impairment (dysphagia) post-stroke results in poorer outcomes. Pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) is a potential treatment for post-stroke dysphagia. In a post hoc analysis, we investigated PES using videofluoroscopy swallow studies (VFSS) from the STEPS trial incorporating multiple measures of safety (penetration aspiration scale-PAS), speed and duration (timing), and efficiency (clearance), as opposed to the original trial which only measured PAS scores. 81 randomised participants (PES (N = 43) versus sham (N = 38)) were analysed at baseline and 2 weeks. Participants swallowed up to 6 × 5 ml and 1 × 50 ml of thin liquid barium at 40% w/v, images at ≥25 fps. Based on PAS, the 5 ml mode bolus (most frequently occurring PAS from 6 × 5 ml) and the

SUBMITTER: Everton LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8205591 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature