SynthesisBMJ open2022
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for children with dysphagia: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06887855 (Enhancing Post-Stroke Dysphagia Rehabilitation Via the Synergistic Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, Neuromuscular Taping, and Swallowing Exercises), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Enhancing Post-Stroke Dysphagia Rehabilitation Via the Synergistic Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, Neuromuscular Taping, and Swallowing Exercises: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Electrical stimulation in the therapy of dysphagia: current knowledge - a narrative review.European journal of translational myology · 2026Article
- Dysphagia Among Children-A Single-Center Experience.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Evaluation of the Efficacy of Focal Vibration Therapy-Novafon as an Assistive Therapeutic Tool for Children With Feeding and Swallowing Disorders.Journal of oral rehabilitation · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesDysphagia in childhood has important health impacts for the child and their family as well as the healthcare system. This systematic review aims to determine the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for treatment of oropharyngeal dysphagia in children.
methodsA search was performed on November 2020 in MEDLINE (from 1946), EMBASE (from 1947), PsycINFO (from 1806), CINAHL (from 1937), CENTRAL (from 1996) and Scopus (from 1970) databases. Studies of children (≤18 years) diagnosed with oropharyngeal dysphagia using NMES in the throat/neck region were included. Screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and a modified Newcastle-Ottawa assessment for observational studies. A meta-analysis was not conducted due to clinical heterogeneity in studies.
resultsTen studies were included (5 RCTs, 4 case series, 1 cohort study; including 393 children, mean or median age below 7 years, including children with neurologic impairments). In all studies, swallowing function improved after NMES treatment. The standardised mean difference (SMD) for improvement of swallowing dysfunction in treatment compared with control groups in the RCTs ranged from 0.18 (95% CI -0.7 to 1.06) to 1.49 (95% CI 0.57 to 2.41). Eight of 10 studies reported on the child's feeding ability, and, with one exception, there was improvement in feeding ability. Few studies reported on health status (N=2), impact on caregiver (N=1), adverse events and harms (N=2), and child's quality of life (N=1). In most studies, outcome follow-up was less than 6 months. The studies demonstrated moderate to high risk of bias.
conclusionsNMES treatment may be beneficial in improving swallowing function for children with dysphagia, however, given the quality of the studies, inadequate outcome reporting, and short follow-up duration, uncertainty remains. Well-designed RCTs are needed to establish its effectiveness before its adoption in clinical practice. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019147353.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.