Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Aug 12;9(8):2618.
doi: 10.3390/jcm9082618.

Effectiveness of Different Application Parameters of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for the Treatment of Dysphagia after a Stroke: A Systematic Review

Isabel Diéguez-Pérez  1 , Raquel Leirós-Rodríguez  1
Affiliations
Review

Effectiveness of Different Application Parameters of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for the Treatment of Dysphagia after a Stroke: A Systematic Review

Isabel Diéguez-Pérez et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Dysphagia causes severe complications among people with a stroke. Physiotherapy allows the cure of this pathology, and among the tools it offers is neuromuscular electrical stimulation. However, this is a technique that has not been protocolized. Therefore, it was considered necessary to carry out a systematic review on the efficacy of the various parameters of application of the neuromuscular electrical stimulation in dysphagia generated after a stroke.

Methods: A systematic search for publications was conducted in March 2020 in the Pubmed, Cinahl, Medline, Web of Science and Scopus databases, using as search terms: Electric stimulation therapy, Deglutition disorders and Stroke.

Results: 21 articles were obtained in which the application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation was applied in isolation (n = 7) or in combination with other techniques such as strengthening exercises and manual therapy techniques (n = 14), with this second modality of treatment having greater benefits for patients.

Conclusion: The greatest efficacy of this technique is reached when applied at 60-80 Hz, 700 μs of pulse duration, at the motor intensity threshold and in sessions of 20-30 min.

Keywords: deglutition; electric stimulation; neurology; physical therapy modalities; stroke.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA chart detailing the article selection process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Cohen D.L., Roffe C., Beavan J., Blackett B., Fairfield C.A., Hamdy S., Havard D., McFarlane M., McLauglin C., Randall M., et al. Post-stroke Dysphagia: A review and design considerations for future trials. Int. J. Stroke. 2016;11:399–411. doi: 10.1177/1747493016639057. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Falsetti P., Acciai C., Palilla R., Bosi M., Carpinteri F., Zingarelli A., Pedace C., Lenzi L. Oropharyngeal dysphagia after stroke: Incidence, diagnosis, and clinical predictors in patients admitted to a neurorehabilitation unit. J. Stroke Cereb. Dis. 2009;18:329–335. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2009.01.009. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dysphagia Section, Oral Care Study Group. Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) International Society of Oral Oncology (ISOO) Raber-Durlacher J.E., Brennan M.T., Verdonck-de Leeuw I.M., Gibson R.J., Eilers J.G., Waltimo T., Bots C.P., et al. Swallowing dysfunction in cancer patients. Support. Care Cancer. 2012;20:433–443. doi: 10.1007/s00520-011-1342-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Murphy B.A., Gilbert J. Dysphagia in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation: Assessment, sequelae, and rehabilitation. Semin. Radiat. Oncol. 2009;19:35–42. doi: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2008.09.007. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Paik N., Kim S.J., Lee H.J., Jeon J.Y., Lim J., Han T.R. Movement of the hyoid bone and the epiglottis during swallowing in patients with dysphagia from different etiologies. J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 2008;18:329–335. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2006.09.011. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources