ArticleFrontiers in neurology2025
Early acupuncture intervention strongly associates with improved swallowing recovery in post-stroke dysphagia: a multicenter real-world cohort study.
Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Neuromuscular-related interventions for post-stroke dysphagia: a comprehensive narrative review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of Cold and Sour Stimulation on Surface Electromyographic Signals of Swallowing Muscles in Healthy Young Adults.Dysphagia · 2026Article
- Acupuncture for early Wallerian degeneration of bilateral brachium pontis: a case report.Journal of medical case reports · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Post-Stroke Dysphagia (PSD) is a common complication of stroke, significantly impairing recovery and quality of life. Acupuncture has shown potential in improving swallowing function, yet the optimal timing of intervention remains unclear. This study evaluated the effect of acupuncture timing on swallowing recovery in stroke patients. Methods: We conducted a multicenter real-world study across 27 hospitals in China, enrolling 382 stroke patients with PSD. Inclusion required symptom onset within 90 days and a Water Swallowing Test (WST) score > 2. The primary outcome was swallowing function recovery at discharge, 90 ± 7 days, and 180 ± 7 days post-onset. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. Results: Among 359 participants with complete data, early acupuncture (0-14 days post-stroke) was strongly associated with improved swallowing recovery. Delayed treatment beyond 28 days significantly reduced recovery odds at discharge (adjusted OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.12-4.21) and 90 days (adjusted OR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.31-5.04). This effect diminished at 180 days (adjusted OR = 1.55; 95% CI: 0.52-4.61). Medullary lesions and diabetes were also associated with poorer outcomes, while hyperlipidemia showed a potential protective effect. The study relied on WST as the sole functional assessment, which, while practical, lacks the sensitivity of instrumental measures like VFSS or FEES for detecting silent aspiration. Conclusion: Early acupuncture intervention within 2 weeks post-stroke is strongly associated with improved swallowing recovery in real-world clinical practice. Delayed treatment may limit clinical benefit. Future research should incorporate instrumental swallowing assessments and randomized trials to refine acupuncture timing and validate these findings. Clinical trial registration: ChiCTR2100042721.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.