title: [Dysphagia after stroke treated with acupuncture or electric stimulation: a randomized controlled trial].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the therapeutic effects between acupuncture and electric stimulation on post-stroke dysphagia on the basis of rehabilitation training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven patients with post-stroke dysphagia were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (group A, n = 32), an electric stimulation group (group B, n = 35) and a rehabilitation training group (group C, n = 30). In group C, the conventional therapy (conventional therapy of neurologic internal medicine and rehabilitation training) was applied. In group A, the combination of conventional therapy and acupuncture was applied. The acupoints of Fengchi (GB 20), Futu (LI 18), three-needles on the forehead, etc. were selected. In group B, the combination of conventional therapy and electric stimulation was adopted. Watian drinking water experiment, stethocatharsis function scoring and video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) were used to evaluate swallowing function of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment, the total effective rate was 96.95 (31/32) in group A and was 94.3% (33/35) in group B, which was superior to that of 66.7% (20/30) in group C (P < 0.01). After treatment, the swallowing function in group A, group B and group C were all improved significantly as compared with that before treatment (all P < 0.05). After treatment, the effects in group A and B were superior to that in group C (both P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The therapeutic effect of the combination of either acupuncture or electric stimulation with rehabilitation training is better than that of simple rehabilitation training. The efficacy on dysphagia is equal between acupuncture and electric stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Guangzhou Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou 511400, Guangdong Province, China. mishz@126.com
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hai-Xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Bi-Dong
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D016896:Treatment Outcome