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Treatment of post-stroke dysphagia by vitalstim therapy coupled with conventional swallowing training

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Summary

To investigate the effects of VitalStim therapy coupled with conventional swallowing training on recovery of post-stroke dysphagia, a total of 120 patients with post-stroke dysphagia were randomly and evenly divided into three groups: conventional swallowing therapy group, VitalStim therapy group, and VitalStim therapy plus conventional swallowing therapy group. Prior to and after the treatment, signals of surface electromyography (sEMG) of swallowing muscles were detected, swallowing function was evaluated by using the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA) and Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) tests, and swallowing-related quality of life (SWAL-QOL) was evaluated using the SWAL-QOL questionnaire. There were significant differences in sEMG value, SSA, VFSS, and SWAL-QOL scores in each group between prior to and after treatment. After 4-week treatment, sEMG value, SSA, VFSS and SWAL-QOL scores were significantly greater in the VitalStim therapy plus conventional swallowing training group than in the conventional swallowing training group and VitalStim therapy group, but no significant difference existed between conventional swallowing therapy group and VitalStim therapy group. It was concluded that VitalStim therapy coupled with conventional swallowing training was conducive to recovery of post-stroke dysphagia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China

    Wenguang Xia  (夏文广), Zhouping Tang  (唐洲平) & Suiqiang Zhu  (朱遂强)

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Center of Brain Department, Hubei Xinhua Hospital, Wuhan, 430015, China

    Wenguang Xia  (夏文广), Chanjuan Zheng  (郑婵娟), Qiang Hua  (华 强) & Yangpu Zhang  (张阳普)

  3. Department of Neurofunctional Diseases, Center of Brain Department, Hubei Xinhua Hospital, Wuhan, 430015, China

    Qingtao Lei  (雷清桃)

Authors
  1. Wenguang Xia  (夏文广)
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  2. Chanjuan Zheng  (郑婵娟)
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  3. Qingtao Lei  (雷清桃)
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  4. Zhouping Tang  (唐洲平)
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  5. Qiang Hua  (华 强)
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  6. Yangpu Zhang  (张阳普)
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  7. Suiqiang Zhu  (朱遂强)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Suiqiang Zhu  (朱遂强).

Additional information

This project was supported by a grant from the Health Bureau of Hubei Province, China (No. JX5B36).

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Xia, W., Zheng, C., Lei, Q. et al. Treatment of post-stroke dysphagia by vitalstim therapy coupled with conventional swallowing training. J. Huazhong Univ. Sci. Technol. [Med. Sci.] 31, 73–76 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-011-0153-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-011-0153-5

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