Observation of the therapeutic effect of handheld induction therapy combined with electromyographic biofeedback on post-stroke dysphagia
In brief
Combined therapy reached 97% effectiveness in a small post-stroke dysphagia cohort
After 4 weeks, 31 of 32 patients receiving conventional treatment plus electromyographic biofeedback and handheld induction therapy were rated effective, compared with 23 of 32 receiving conventional treatment alone. Swallowing scores were also higher, with no significant difference in adverse reactions; this single-center retrospective study cannot establish that the added therapies caused the gains.
- Journal
- Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association (Q1)
- Published
- 7 November 2026
- Study design
- Prospective / inception cohort
- Evidence level
- Level 2, Moderate (CEBM 2b)
- Authors
- Cheng Quan, Tian Ma, Xiaojia Zhu, Tianyu Xu
- PMID
- 42998729
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2026.108783
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Rehabilitation (paper of the day, 9 November 2026): Evaluates post-stroke dysphagia rehabilitation interventions
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of handheld induction therapy combined with electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback for post-stroke dysphagia in a real-world setting. METHODS: In this single-center retrospective cohort study, 105 patients with post-stroke dysphagia were enrolled; after multinomial propensity score (GPS) estimation with common support trimming, 96 patients (32 per group) were included in the final analysis: Group A (conventional treatment), Group B (conventional treatment + EMG biofeedback), and Group C (conventional treatment + EMG biofeedback + handheld induction therapy). The efficacy was assessed after 4 weeks by comparing videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) scores, Modified Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) scores, Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) scores, and overall effective rates among the three groups. RESULTS: After treatment, Group C had significantly higher VFSS oral-phase, pharyngeal-phase, and aspiration scores than Groups A and B (all P < 0.001), as well as higher MASA scores (85.37 ± 6.54 vs. 73.25 ± 6.24 and 73.31 ± 6.31, respectively; all P < 0.001), and FOIS scores (6.05 ± 0.35 vs. 5.14 ± 0.28 and 5.09 ± 0.31, respectively; all P < 0.001). The total effective rate was highest in Group C (96.88%, 31/32), followed by Group B (84.38%, 27/32) and Group A (71.88%, 23/32), with a significant difference among the three groups (P = 0.025). Adverse reactions did not differ significantly (P = 0.440). CONCLUSION: Handheld induction therapy combined with EMG biofeedback may effectively improve swallowing function and clinical efficacy in post-stroke dysphagia, with favorable safety; further prospective studies are warranted.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.