Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation on the Submental Area: The Relations of Biopsychological Factors with Maximum Amplitude Tolerance and Perceived Discomfort Level.

The study included only 30 healthy older adults, so the findings may not apply to patients with dysphagia or other clinical conditions. The small sample size increases the risk of false-positive or false-negative results, particularly for variables that showed trends but did not reach strict statistical significance. The coping questionnaire used was designed for chronic pain patients, so some items may not accurately reflect how healthy individuals respond to acute experimental stimulation. The study measured correlations, so it cannot prove that changing coping strategies will alter tolerance or discomfort.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Extramural) and non-U.S. government sources.

Do not assume that teaching distraction or reducing catastrophizing will increase the electrical amplitude a patient can tolerate. This study only found that these traits were correlated with discomfort and tolerance levels in healthy people; it did not test whether actively changing these strategies improves treatment outcomes.