The effects of traditional Chinese medicine sensory stimulation combined with transcranial direct current stimulation on deglutition and related complications in stroke patients with dysphagia: a randomized trial

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader The effects of traditional Chinese medicine sensory stimulation combined with transcranial direct current stimulation on deglutition and related complications in stroke patients with dysphagia: a randomized trial Via Traditional dysphagia therapy Ann Palliat Med. 2021 Jun;10(6):6597-6605. doi: 10.21037/apm-21-1055. Epub 2021 Jun 11. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Stroke is a serious manifestation of a variety of cerebrovascular diseases and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. This study explored the effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) sensory stimulation combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on swallowing function and related complications in stroke patients with dysphagia. METHODS: A total of 60 stroke patients with deglutition dysfunction admitted to our hospital from August 2019 to January 2021 were selected as research subjects. The patients were randomized into 3 different treatment groups, namely, the TCM group, the tDCS group, and the TCM combined with tDCS group (the combined group). Water swallowing tests (WSTs) were conducted to compare the swallowing function before and after treatment. Video fluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) wer e conducted to analyze the scores of the oral phase, pharyngeal phase, and degree of aspiration. Brain activation and brain volume were examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). RESULTS: The WST and VFSS scores in the combined treatment group were significantly higher than that observed in the other two groups (P<0.05). The fMRI demonstrated that the brain activation volume in the combined treatment group was also greater than that in the other two groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TCM combined with tDCS significantly improved deglutition and complications in stroke patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TRC-12001972. PMID:34154344 | DOI:10.21037/apm-21-1055 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.