Efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment on oropharyngeal dysphagia in elderly after stroke

Abstract

Functional impairments due aging, added to teeth loss, may be potentiated by neurological diseases, resulting in oropharyngeal dysphagia, important cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. On presence of neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia, the literature is scarce regarding the efficacy of odontological and speech language methods of rehabilitation in this population, being the Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) described as an important adjunt treatment. However no studies were found that approaches the effect of sensory NMES in the elderly in the late phase of stroke onset. The purpose of this study is verify the short and medium-term effect of sensory NMES therapy in elderly chronic stroke who have undergone conventional therapy without success. Ten elderly post stroke with oropharyngeal dysphagia with good oral health, and who have undergone conventional therapy without success, will be classified on functional oral intake scale, evaluated by videofluoroscopy exam and electromyography of suprahyoid muscles during swallowing, as well as applied the protocol of quality of life SWAL-QOL, before, immediately after and after 3 months of rehabilitation with NMES. All individuals will be treated with sensory NMES during effortful swallow, a total of 12 sessions (three times a week), with duration of 20 minutes. The results will be tabulated and submitted to statistical analysis (AU)