review · Clinical Interventions in Aging
Swallowing difficulties, known as dysphagia, frequently affect individuals following a stroke. A systematic review evaluated evidence from eleven randomised controlled trials comprising 784 stroke patients to assess the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on swallowing recovery. Across the reviewed clinical studies, overall evidence quality ranged from moderate to high based on standard assessment frameworks. Outcomes were evaluated using standard swallowing assessments and functional dysphagia scales. The findings indicate that pairing neuromuscular electrical stimulation with conventional swallowing therapy provides a viable therapeutic option for improving swallowing function. Such combined interventions can be integrated into post-stroke care within hospital rehabilitation departments to support patient recovery.
Dysphagia after a stroke severely impacts patient recovery, safety, and overall quality of life. Confirming that electrical stimulation enhances traditional swallowing exercises gives healthcare providers clearer guidance on rehabilitation options. This evidence supports the adoption of targeted physical therapies to restore essential swallowing functions during post-stroke care programmes.
This work supports the clinical application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation devices within hospital rehabilitation departments. The primary users are rehabilitation clinicians and therapists treating post-stroke dysphagia. Because the findings rely on completed randomised controlled trials evaluating established therapies, the intervention is applied and tested, representing a near-market clinical practice ready for integration alongside conventional rehabilitation protocols.
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The purpose of this review was to summarize the latest best scientific evidence on the efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on swallowing function in dysphagic stroke patients. A comprehensive systematic search of literature published between November 2014 and May 2020 was performed using the following electronic databases: PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, PEDro, Science Direct, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Scopus. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluating the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on swallowing function in dysphagic stroke patients were included. Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) has been used to evaluate the risk of bias of included trials. This review was reported in accordance with PRISMA statement guideline. The methodological quality of the studies was determined using PEDro scale and GRADE approach. Evidence of overall quality was graded from moderate to high. Eleven RCTs involving 784 patients were analyzed. The primary outcome measures of this review were functional dysphagia scale (FDS) and standard swallowing assessment. This review found neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) coupled with traditional swallowing therapy could be an optional intervention to improve swallowing function after stroke in rehabilitation department.
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DOI: 10.2147/cia.s262596
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