Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for poststroke dysphagia

Xuezheng Li; Lijun Lu; Xuefeng Fu; Hao Li; Wen Yang; Hua Guo; Kaifeng Guo; Zhen Huang

doi:10.3389/fneur.2023.1270624

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of electroacupuncture for poststroke dysphagia

Front Neurol. 2023 Dec 6:14:1270624. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1270624. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xuezheng Li¹, Lijun Lu¹, Xuefeng Fu¹, Hao Li¹, Wen Yang¹, Hua Guo¹, Kaifeng Guo², Zhen Huang²

Affiliations

¹ Postgraduate Cultivation Base of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
² Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Guangzhou Panyu Central Hospital, Guangzhou Guangdong, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Optimal treatment strategies for post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) remain to be explored. Electroacupuncture (EA) has attracted widespread attention due to its simplicity, cheapness, and safety. However, the efficacy of EA in the treatment of PSD lacks high-level evidence-based medical support. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the clinical value of EA in the treatment of PSD.

Methods: A total of seven databases were searched for relevant literature. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on EA alone or EA combined with other interventions for the treatment of PSD were assessed using the modified Jadad scale. The studies with a score of ≥4 were included. The quality of the included studies was then assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. The meta-analysis was performed using Rev. Man 5.3 software.

Results: Twelve studies involving 1,358 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis results showed that the EA group was superior to the control group in terms of clinical response rate (OR = 2.63, 95% CI = 1.97 to 3.53) and videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) score (MD = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.29 to 1.16). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) score (MD = -3.11, 95% CI = -6.45 to 0.23), Rosenbek penetration-aspiration scale (PAS) score (MD = -0.68, 95% CI = -2.78 to 1.41), Swallowing Quality of Life (SWAL-QOL) score (MD = 13.24, 95% CI = -7.74 to 34.21), or incidence of adverse events (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 0.73 to 3.38).

Conclusion: This study shows that EA combined with conventional treatment or other interventions can significantly improve the clinical response rate and VFSS score in patients with PSD without increasing adverse reactions.Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=396840.

Keywords: dysphagia; electroacupuncture; meta-analysis; randomized controlled trials; stroke; systematic review.

Publication types

Systematic Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by a project grant from the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau (No. 202201011729).