Pharyngeal electrical stimulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) suffer from dysphagia that increases the risk for aspiration, pneumonia and weight loss. Pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) is a therapeutic technique that applies electric stimuli to the patient's pharynx in order to improve swallowing based on the principle of cortical plasticity and reorganization. Previous studies have demonstrated positive effects in patients with various neurological diseases.

Objective

This study was initiated to investigate the effect of PES on swallowing function in patients with ALS.

Methods

In all, 20 ALS patients with severe dysphagia [characterized by a Penetration Aspiration Scale (PAS) of at least 4 in thin liquid] were randomized to receive either PES for 10 min at 3 con

SUBMITTER: Herrmann C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8832561 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature