A Pilot Exploratory Study of Oral Electrical Stimulation on Swallow Function following Stroke: An Innovative Technique

This pilot study investigated the effect of oral electrical stimulation on swallow function in stroke patients with chronic dysphagia. The purpose was to determine whether an innovative technique could make an improvement in swallow function that might be developed as a potential treatment for patients with persistent dysphagia. Four stroke patients with chronic dysphagia were recruited on the basis of videofluoroscopic findings of a delayed swallow reflex. A single case design was used. Oral electrical stimulation of swallowing was carried out using a palatal prosthesis starting at an output pulse of 0.5 mA, with a fixed duration of 200 μsec, repeated at 1-sec intervals. Barium paste (1 × 5 ml) was introduced at the level of the patient's maximum tolerance of stimulation and any effect on swallow function was recorded by videofluoroscopy. The findings from the pilot study indicated that oral electrical stimulation resulted in an improvement in swallow function in 2 of the 4 patients. The stimulation was well tolerated in all cases with no serious adverse effects. These early results are promising, but further research is needed.