Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Busan Paik Hospital of Inje University, Republic of Korea | [b] Department of Occupational Therapy, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea | [c] Department of Occupational Therapy, Kyungdong University, Wonju, Korea | [d] Department of Rehabilitation Science, Graduate School of Inje University, Republic of Korea
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Ji-Su Park, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Graduate School of Inje University, 197 Inje-ro, Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, 621-749, Republic of Korea. Tel.: +82 55 320 3685; Fax: +82 55 326 4885; E-mail: jisu627@hanmail.net.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:Recently, resistance expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) has been reported as a remedial treatment for dysphagia. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of resistance EMST on the swallowing function in stroke patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. METHODS:Forty-two stroke patients with dysphagia were randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group (n = 13) and a placebo group (n = 13). The experimental group performed EMST using a portable EMST device, while the placebo group performed EMST using a sham EMST device with no loading. The intervention was performed 5 days per week for 4weeks, in five sets of 5 breaths through the device for a total of 25 breaths per day. Both groups underwent conventional dysphagia treatment for 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. Videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS) and penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) based on a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) were assessed to analyze the oropharyngeal swallowing function. RESULTS:The experimental group showed more improvement in pharyngeal phase of the VDS (p = 0.018 and 0.006, respectively) and PAS compared to the placebo group (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS:We suggest that EMST could improve the effects of dysphagia observed in post-stroke elderly patients based on swallowing function.
