Tactile, thermal and gustatory stimulation therapy in the treatment of post-stroke oropharyngeal dysphagia: a scoping review.
Julia Matos, Rodrigo Alves de Andrade, Diego Fernando Dornelles Bilheri and 4 others
PMID 39841737WHAT IT FOUND
Only three studies examined cold stimulation for post-stroke swallowing.
One trial found capsaicin improved swallowing scores over seven days, while two older studies showed mixed duration changes. No studies tested taste stimulation alone. Evidence is too sparse to change practice.
Key findings
01A randomized trial found that low-temperature capsaicin stimulation significantly improved dysphagia and dietary level scores over seven days compared to water.
02Two earlier studies using chilled laryngeal mirrors reported changes in swallow duration, with one showing significant reductions in transit time and the other showing variable results across subjects.
03None of the included studies evaluated gustatory (taste) stimulation, either alone or combined with thermal stimulation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only three studies were included, all focusing on thermal stimulation. Sample sizes were very small (7 to 43 participants). Protocols varied widely in materials, temperature, and duration. Most studies did not report adverse events or therapist training details. The review excluded studies mixing ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke types.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding sources are not specified in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the significant improvement in the 2021 capsaicin trial as proof that thermal stimulation works for all post-stroke dysphagia patients. The evidence base is extremely thin, consisting of only three studies with heterogeneous methods and small samples.