Eletroestimulação neuromuscular na reabilitação da disfagia orofaríngea

A reabilitação da disfagia orofaríngea ganhou um novo instrumento terapêutico, a eletroestimulação neuromuscular (EENM), sendo que os mais renomados pesquisadores têm estudado a indicação e os resultados desta abordagem. O objetivo deste trabalho foi apresentar revisão bibliográfica sobre a aplicabilidade da EENM na reabilitação da disfagia orofaríngea. Realizou-se amplo levantamento bibliográfico em bases de dados, englobando as duas últimas décadas de pesquisa na área. Este artigo de revisão mostrou que ainda não há consenso sobre o uso da EENM na reabilitação da disfagia. Constatou-se que a maioria dos trabalhos descreveu o uso da EENM de forma isolada, não relatou as técnicas fonoaudiológicas associadas à eletroterapia e utilizou amostras heterogêneas que agrupavam disfagias orofaríngeas mecânicas e neurogênicas. Somente recentemente programas específicos têm sido delineados e testados em populações mais homogêneas.The rehabilitation of oropharyngeal dysphagia has a new therapeutic tool, the neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), and the most renowned researchers have been studying the applicability and the results of this approach. The aim of this study was to present a literature review regarding the applicability of NMES in the rehabilitation of oropharyngeal dysphagia. An extensive literature review was carried out, considering the last two decades of research in the area. The review showed that there is still no consensus on the use of NMES in the rehabilitation of dysphagia. It was found that most studies described the use of NMES in isolation, did not describe the techniques associated with speech-language therapy associated to electrotherapy, and used heterogeneous samples that clustered mechanical and neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia. Only recently specific programs have been designed and tested in more homogeneous populations

Effects of Therapy in Oropharyngeal Dysphagia by Speech and Language Therapists: A Systematic Review

Medical and paramedical treatments should be evaluated according to current standards of evidence-based medicine. Evaluation of therapy in oropharyngeal dysphagia fits into this growing interest. A systematic review is given of the literature on the effects of therapy in oropharyngeal dysphagia carried out by speech therapists. Thus, the review excludes reports of surgical or pharmacological treatments. The literature search was performed using the electronic databases PubMed and Embase. All available inclusion dates up to November 2008 were used. The search was limited to English, German, French, Spanish, and Dutch publications. MESH terms were supplemented by using free-text words (for the period after January 2005). Fifty-nine studies were included. In general, statistically significant positive therapy effects were found. However, the number of papers was rather small. Moreover, diverse methodological problems were found in many of these studies. For most studies, the conclusions could not be generalized; comparison was hindered by the range of diagnoses, types of therapies, and evaluation techniques. Many questions remain about the effects of therapy in oropharyngeal dysphagia as performed by speech and language therapists. Although some positive significant outcome studies have been published, further research based on randomized controlled trials is needed

Testing devices for the prevention and treatment of stroke and its complications

We are entering a challenging but exciting period when many new interventions may appear for stroke based on the use of devices. Hopefully these will lead to improved outcomes at a cost that can be afforded in most parts of the world. Nevertheless, it is vital that lessons are learnt from failures in the development of pharmacological interventions (and from some early device studies), including inadequate preclinical testing, suboptimal trial design and analysis, and underpowered studies. The device industry is far more disparate than that seen for pharmaceuticals; companies are very variable in size and experience in stroke, and are developing interventions across a wide range of stroke treatment and prevention. It is vital that companies work together where sales and marketing are not involved, including in understanding basic stroke mechanisms, prospective systematic reviews, and education of physicians. Where possible, industry and academics should also work closely together to ensure trials are designed to be relevant to patient care and outcomes. Additionally, regulation of the device industry lags behind that for pharmaceuticals, and it is critical that new interventions are shown to be safe and effective rather than just feasible. Phase IV postmarketing surveillance studies will also be needed to ensure that devices are safe when used in the ‘real-world’ and to pick up uncommon adverse events

Uso da eletroestimulação na clínica fonoaudiológica: uma revisão integrativa da literatura

Resumo: Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar revisão integrativa de literatura sobre a aplicabilidade e o resultado do uso da eletroestimulação na prática clínica fonoaudiológica. Foram seguidos os preceitos do Cochrane Handbook, que envolveu a formulação da questão a ser investigada, localização e seleção dos estudos e avaliação crítica dos artigos. Foram utilizadas as bases de dados Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval Sistem on-line (Medline), Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), PubMed e Web of Science/ISI. Os descritores utilizados foram: "estimulação elétrica nervosa transcutânea", "estimulação elétrica", "disfagia", "transtornos de deglutição", "disfonia", "distúrbios da voz", "treinamento da voz" e "terapia por estimulação elétrica" em inglês, português e espanhol e suas combinações, no período entre 2003 e 2013. Os estudos analisados demonstraram que a eletroestimulação traz benefícios na reabilitação de pacientes na clínica fonoaudiológica, mas a metodologia utilizada nos estudos foi divergente e a população estudada muito heterogênea o que dificulta sua utilização clínica pelos profissionais da área. A eletroestimulação traz benefícios na reabilitação fonoaudiológica, porém novos estudos devem ser realizados utilizando uma amostra mais homogênea e descrevendo metodologia e técnicas fonoaudiológicas utilizadas nos procedimentos, a fim de comprovar seus resultados e viabilizar seu uso pelos profissionais da área