Effect of surface sensory and motor electrical stimulation on chronic poststroke oropharyngeal dysfunction

Background Chronic poststroke oropharyngeal dysfunction (OD) is a common condition, leading to severe complications, including death. Treatments for chronic poststroke OD are scarce. The aim of our study was to assess and compare the efficacy and safety of treatment with surface electrical stimulation (e‐stim) at sensory and motor intensities in patients with chronic poststroke OD. Methods Twenty chronic poststroke patients with OD were randomly assigned to (i) sensory e‐stim (treatment intensity: 75% of motor threshold) or (ii) motor e‐stim (treatment intensity: motor threshold). Patients were treated during 10 days, 1 h/day. Videofluoroscopy was performed at the beginning and end of the study to assess signs of impaired efficacy and safety of swallow and timing of swallow response. Key Results Patients presented advanced age (74.95 ± 2.18), 75% were men. The mean days poststroke was 336.26 ± 89.6. After sensory stimulation, the number of unsafe swallows was reduced by 66.7% (p