Recovery of swallowing function is accompanied by the expansion of the cortical map

Int J Neurosci. 2007 Sep;117(9):1215-27. doi: 10.1080/00207450600936254.

Abstract

To determine whether multiple sessions of electrical stimulation (ES) applied to neck muscles improve swallowing function and whether this improvement is accompanied by cortical reorganization in patients with dysphagia, before-after trials were performed on eight subjects. ES was applied for 1 hour, 5 days a week for 2 weeks. Swallowing function significantly improved after 2 weeks of ES, and this change was found to correlate with cortical reorganization measured by corticobulbar output maps. This study suggests that multiple sessions of ES applied to the neck muscles improve swallowing function via a mechanism involving long-term cortical reorganization.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiopathology*
  • Deglutition / physiology*
  • Deglutition / radiation effects
  • Deglutition Disorders / physiopathology
  • Deglutition Disorders / therapy*
  • Electric Stimulation Therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuronal Plasticity / physiology*
  • Recovery of Function / physiology*
  • Recovery of Function / radiation effects
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / methods
  • Treatment Outcome