The role of NMES in longstanding dysphagia. V1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Comparison of Neuro Muscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) plus traditional therapy, versus traditional therapy in patients with longstanding dysphagia.
IRAS ID
180879
Contact name
Judith Hibberd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Dysphagia or problems swallowing affect a large number of the adult population in Britain. It occurs for a variety of reasons but particularly after strokes, head injuries and many neurological disorders. Many patients find themselves fed by alternative means such as naso gastric tubes or tubes directly into the stomach as well as altered diets and fluids which are unacceptable to most patients.
There are therapy options to re educate the patient to reuse the swallowing muscles and Neuro muscular electrical stimulation(NMES) is a treatment aimed at re educating those muscles.
It has been available since 2001 in the USA and NICE has issued guidelines on its use in Britain in 2014.
We aim to use the NICE guidelines to treat patients with Vital Stim , an NMES device.
We will give 15 sessions of therapy over 5 weeks using electrodes placed under the chin and beside the larynx and chart outcomes that detail improvement in swallowing. This information will be fed back into the NICE guidelines to ensure safe practice and a wider target patient group who may benefit from this emerging therapy.REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
15/NS/0075
Date of REC Opinion
5 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion