title: Cryostimulation improves recovery from oropharyngeal dysphagia after stroke.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is considered one of the most frequent neurological causes of oropharyngeal dysphagia.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of cryostimulation on oropharyngeal sensitivity and, subsequently, on the swallowing reaction and premature escape of food in patients with neurogenic dysphagia after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and experimental study. The study enrolled 7 adult subjects, 6 men and 1 woman ranging from 28 to 64 years of age, with a diagnosis of stroke and current oropharyngeal dysphagia without any other underlying disease. The selected subjects underwent speech-language pathology evaluation and videofluoroscopic assessment of the dysphagia. The subjects were then treated with cryostimulation consisting of 10 applications to each structure (anterior faucial pillar, posterior oropharyngeal wall, soft palate, and back tongue) 3 times a day (for a total of 30 daily applications per structure) for 4 consecutive days. The patients were then re-evaluated based on the same criteria. The pre- and post-cryostimulation results of the clinical and videofluoroscopic evaluations were analyzed descriptively and statistically using Student's t-test and Fisher's exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cryostimulation had beneficial effects on oropharyngeal sensitivity in 6 of the 7 subjects. There was also a significant improvement in swallowing and in the premature escape in six subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cryostimulation increased sensitivity and subsequently improved the swallowing reaction and premature escape of food in patients with neurogenic dysphagia after stroke. These effects were evident by both speech-language pathology and videofluoroscopic evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Speech Department, Passo Fundo University, Passo Fundo/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zart
authors.affiliation: Ph.D. in Health Science, Institute of Cardiology of Rio Grande do Sul, Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology and Personality Development, Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, Porto Alegre/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Deborah Salle
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Student in Human Communication Disorders, Santa Maria Federal University, Santa Maria/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geovana de Paula
authors.initials: Gde P
authors.lastname: Bolzan
authors.affiliation: Ph.D. in Linguistics, Santa Catarina Federal University, Adjunct Professor, Speech Department, Santa Maria Federal University, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mancopes
authors.affiliation: Ph.D. in Human Communication Disorders, Sao Paulo Federal University. Associate Professor, Speech Department, Santa Maria Federal University, Santa Maria/RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Maria Toniolo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: da Silva
keywords: cryotherapy; deglutition disorders; fluoroscopy; rehabilitation; stroke