title: Pharyngeal electrical stimulation for dysphagia associated with multiple sclerosis: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Treatment options for dysphagia associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) are currently limited. In this study we investigated whether intraluminal electrical pharyngeal stimulation facilitates swallowing recovery in dysphagic MS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty dysphagic MS patients were randomized to receive 5 Hz "real" pharyngeal stimulation (10 patients) for 10 min or "sham" pharyngeal stimulation for 10 min (10 patients). Patients were evaluated by videofluoroscopic, and electromyographic examinations, and by the Penetration/Aspiration Scale (PAS) performed before (T0) and immediately after the last session of 5 consecutive days of electrical pharyngeal stimulation (T1), and then after two (T2), and four (T3) weeks of 5 consecutive days of pharyngeal electrical stimulation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients who received "real" stimulation showed a significant improvement in all the swallowing outcome measures as compared with those receiving "sham" stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No specific treatment for oro-pharyngeal dysphagia related to MS has been described to date. Our preliminary findings suggest a potential benefit of intraluminal electrical pharyngeal stimulation for the treatment of dysphagia caused by MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nuovo Garibaldi Hospital, via Palermo, 95100 Catania, Italy. darestivo@libero.it
authors.forename: Domenico A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Restivo
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casabona
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Centonze
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marchese-Ragona
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maimone
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pavone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D010614:Pharynx / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014741:Video Recording