Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jul 6, 2024; 12(19): 3725-3733
Published online Jul 6, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i19.3725
Study on the treatment of dysphagia after stroke with electromyographic biofeedback intensive training
Qing-Nan Meng, Yue Zhu, Si-Wen Liu, Bin Hu, De-Jun Chai, Chun-Xue Dong
Qing-Nan Meng, Yue Zhu, Si-Wen Liu, Bin Hu, De-Jun Chai, Chun-Xue Dong, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College, Qiqihar 161000, Heilongjiang Province, China
Author contributions: Meng QN contributed primary to this manuscript; Zhu Y and Liu SW made substantial contributions to clinical data collection; Hu B and Chai DJ contributed to the disease analysis; Meng QN drafted the manuscript; Dong CX critically revised the manuscript for literature review and edited it for clarity.
Supported by the Research Program of Basic Research Operating Expenses of Provincial Higher Education Institutions in Heilongjiang Province in 2021, No. 2021-KYYWF-0369.
Institutional review board statement: This study has been approved by Second Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College, No. 20211141.
Informed consent statement: The data used in the study were not involved in the patients’ privacy information, and all patient data obtained, recorded, and managed only used for this study, without any harm to the patient. So the informed consent was waived by the ethics committee of Second Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Dr. Dong has nothing to disclose.
Data sharing statement: Data can be obtained by contacting the corresponding author.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Chun-Xue Dong, Doctor, Doctor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical College, No. 37 Zhonghua West Road, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161000, Heilongjiang Province, China. dongchunxue316@163.com
Received: February 29, 2024
Revised: April 23, 2024
Accepted: May 10, 2024
Published online: July 6, 2024
Processing time: 121 Days and 1.7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Dysphagia, or swallowing disorder, is a common complication following stroke, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Electromyographic biofeedback (EMGBF) therapy has emerged as a potential rehabilitation technique to improve swallowing function, but its efficacy in comparison with conventional treatments remains to be further explored.

AIM

To investigate the effects of different treatment intensities of EMGBF on swallowing function and motor speed after stroke.

METHODS

The participants were divided into three groups, all of which received routine neurological drug therapy and motor function rehabilitation training. On the basis of routine swallowing disorder training, the EMGBF group received additional EMGBF training, while the enhanced EMGBF group received two additional training sessions. Four weeks before and after treatment, the degree of swallowing disorder was evaluated using the degree of swallowing disorder score (VGF) and the Rosenbek penetration-aspiration scale (PAS).

RESULTS

Initially, there was no significant difference in VGF and PAS scores among the groups (P > 0.05). After four weeks, all groups showed significant improvement in both VGF scores and PAS scores. Furthermore, the standardized swallowing assessment and videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale scores also improved significantly post-treatment, indicating enhanced swallowing function and motor function of the hyoid-bone laryngeal complex, particularly in the intensive EMGBF group.

CONCLUSION

EMGBF training is more effective than traditional swallowing training in improving swallowing function and the movement rate of the hyoid laryngeal complex in patients with post-stroke dysphagia.

Keywords: Stroke, Swallowing disorder, Electromyographic biofeedback therapy, Rosenbek penetration-aspiration scale score, Swallowing disorder score

Core Tip: This study evaluates the efficacy of electromyographic biofeedback (EMGBF) training in improving swallowing function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia. It differentiates between conventional rehabilitation, standard EMGBF, and intensive EMGBF protocols, focusing on their impact on swallowing mechanics and the hyoid-bone laryngeal complex movement. Results indicate that intensive EMGBF significantly enhances swallowing function, suggesting its superiority over conventional methods. This highlights EMGBF's potential as a beneficial clinical tool for post-stroke dysphagia rehabilitation, warranting its broader adoption and further investigation into its long-term effects and mechanisms.