Treatment Effects for Dysphagia in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review

This study has not been registered. A total of 563 studies were identified from the database searches. After screening and assessment of full articles for eligibility, five studies were included in the review. Three examined electrical stimulation and two examined the use of botulinum toxin. One study testing electrical stimulation was a randomised controlled trial, two were well-designed case series and two were case series lacking experimental control. All studies reported some positive effects on dysphagia; however, treatments that involved the use of electrical stimulation showed larger effect sizes. There is a paucity of evidence to guide treatment of dysphagia in MS, with only electrical stimulation and botulinum toxin treatment represented in the literature search conducted here. While both treatments show initial promise for reducing the swallowing impairment, they require further research using well-controlled experimental designs to determine their clinical applicability and long-term treatment effects for dysphagia across different types and severity of MS.
Source: Dysphagia - Category: Speech Therapy Source Type: research