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NCT Number: NCT01731847

Combined NMES,FEES and Traditional Swallowing Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Stroke-related Dysphagia

The investigators aimed to evaluate effects of combined NMES, FEES and traditional swallowing rehabilitation in stroke patients with moderate-to-severe dysphagia.

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Key information

Conditions

Stroke Brain Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders Deglutition Disorders Digestive System Diseases Esophageal Diseases Gastrointestinal Diseases Nervous System Diseases Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Pharyngeal Diseases Vascular Diseases

Age range

20 year–85 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital

Kaohsiung City, 813, Taiwan

About this study

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)and Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) are both promising approaches to enhance swallowing recovery for dysphagic patients. However, there is no literature on the effectiveness of combined application of these modalities in the treatment of patients with poststroke dysphagia. The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate whether combined NMES, FEES and traditional swallowing rehabilitation can improve swallowing functions in patients with moderate-to-severe dysphagia after stroke.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • age between 20-85 years old
  • first-time stroke confirmed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance image
  • dysphagia > 3 weeks, with preservation of the swallowing reflex
  • currently on a restricted diet, with a Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) score of 5 or less
  • Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)> 21
  • no obvious mental depression, receptive aphasia or cognitive impairment

Exclusion criteria

  • progressive cerebrovascular disease or other neurologic diseases
  • unstable cardiopulmonary status, serious psychologic disorder or epilepsy;
  • tumors, extensive surgery or radiotherapy of the head and neck region
  • cardiac pacemakers
  • swallowing therapy within 2 months before participation

Treatment and study plan

the combination group

Procedure

Patients received 12 sessions of NMES for 1 hour /day, 5 days/week within a period of 2-3 weeks. FEES was done before and after NMES for evaluation and guiding therapy. All patients subsequently received 12 sessions of traditional swallowing rehabilitation (50 minutes/day, 3 days/week) for 4 weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS)

    Time frame: at 6-month follow-up

    The FOIS is a 7-point ordinal scale reflecting the dietary intake of patients with dysphagia. It has adequate reliability and validity and has been used extensively in clinical studies of dysphagia to measure functional oral intake

Secondary outcomes

  1. The degree of dysphagia

    Time frame: at 6-month follow-up

    The degree of dysphagia was classified from grade 1 to 4 after detailed clinical swallowing evaluation including cranial nerve assessment, observations of swallowing and related movements and swallowing trials using various volumes and consistencies of food

  2. swallowing VAS

    Time frame: at 6-month follow-up

    Each patient completed a perceptual evaluation of his swallowing ability using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS). It was rated by answering a single question: ''How do you qualify your swallowing ability?'' Scores can vary from 0 (no difficulty at all) to 10 (unable to swallow).

Other outcomes

  1. global satisfaction to the combination therapy

    Time frame: at 6-month follow-up

    Patients were asked to rate the level of global satisfaction to the combination therapy. The rating was based on a 7-point categorical scale weighted from completely satisfied, satisfied, somewhat satisfied, no change, somewhat unsatisfied, unsatisfied to completely unsatisfied.

  2. The occurrence of adverse events or pneumonia

    Time frame: at 6-month follow-up

    The occurrence of adverse events or pneumonia was recorded during the study period.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital.

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Combined Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) With Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and Traditional Swallowing Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Stroke-related Dysphagia

Important dates

Study start
2007
Primary completion
2008
Study completion
2008
First posted
Nov 22, 2012
Registry last updated
Nov 22, 2012

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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