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Effects of functional electrical stimulation on dysphagia caused by radiation therapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation on the swallowing function of irradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with dysphagia.

Materials and methods

Twenty nasopharyngeal carcinoma subjects with dysphagia were divided into a functional electrical stimulation (FES) and a home rehabilitation program (HRP) group. Each subject completed a quality of life questionnaire on swallowing and a videofluoroscopic study at the commencement and the end of the procedures. The FES group received functional electrical stimulation of the supra-hyoid muscles over 15 sessions. The HRP group performed self-swallowing exercises at home. The evaluation parameters included the quality of life questionnaire scores, the penetration–aspiration scale (PAS), the movement of the hyoid bone, and the amount of pyriform sinuses stasis.

Results

Most swallowing outcomes of the FES group improved after FES. The quality of life score (p = 0.003), the duration of the movement of thin barium through the hyoid (p = 0.001), the moving speed of paste barium through the hyoid (p = 0.028), and the pyriform sinus stasis area of the paste barium (p = 0.026) reached significant difference in the FES group. Most swallowing outcomes did not improve in the HRP group. The degree of improvement in the movement speed of the hyoid bone in the thin barium (p = 0.018) and the PAS of the paste barium (p = 0.016) were statistically significantly greater in the FES group than in the HRP group.

Conclusion

FES will improve the swallowing function of NPC patients with dysphagia and bring about better quality of life.

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Acknowledgment

We would like to thank the National Science Council Taiwan ROC for their support in funding this study and SLP (Meng-Chou Lee) for his assistance in collecting data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Speech and Hearing Disorders and Sciences, National Taipei College of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Pei-Hung Lin

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, National Taiwan University Hospital, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Tzu-Yu Hsiao

  3. Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Yeun-Chung Chang

  4. Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Lai-Lei Ting

  5. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, School of Medicine, National Taiwan University, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, 100, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Wen-Shiang Chen & Tyng-Guey Wang

  6. Department of Health Care Management, National Taipei College of Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Su-Chiu Chen

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  1. Pei-Hung Lin
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  2. Tzu-Yu Hsiao
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  7. Tyng-Guey Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tyng-Guey Wang.

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Lin, PH., Hsiao, TY., Chang, YC. et al. Effects of functional electrical stimulation on dysphagia caused by radiation therapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Support Care Cancer 19, 91–99 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0792-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0792-2

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