Clinical Research Directory

Motor Imagery in Post-Stroke Dysphagia

This study evaluated the effects of motor imagery added to conventional swallowing rehabilitation in patients with dysphagia after stroke. Dysphagia, or swallowing difficulty, is a common problem after stroke and may increase the risk of aspiration, pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and reduced quality of life. Participants with post-stroke dysphagia were randomly assigned to one of three groups: video-assisted motor imagery, motor imagery alone, or control. All participants received conventional swallowing rehabilitation. In addition, the video-assisted motor imagery group watched videos showing swallowing-related actions and then mentally imagined the observed movement. The motor imagery alone group performed mental imagery of swallowing without visual stimulation. The control group received only conventional swallowing rehabilitation. The intervention period lasted 4 weeks, with sessions performed twice weekly. Swallowing function was assessed before and after treatment using the Gugging Swallowing Screen, the Penetration-Aspiration Scale based on videofluoroscopic swallowing study, and the Stroke Impact Scale. The aim of the study was to determine whether motor imagery, especially when supported by video observation, provides additional benefit for swallowing recovery in patients with post-stroke dysphagia.

Safety and Efficacy of the Swallow Expansion Device (SED) for Improvement of Swallowing in Patients

Biomedical devices, such as artificial joints and pacemakers, are accepted and commonly used in medicine. While great progress in biomedical devices has been made for many other disorders, there is currently no device available to assist with the act of deglutition. The investigators have developed a biomedical device (Swallow Expansion Device, SED) that assists with swallowing by mechanically opening the upper esophageal sphincter and allowing food and liquid to safely enter the esophagus. The SED has proven safe in cadaver and live animal studies (Belafsky, 2010).