Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42471326›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Frequency-dependent effects of motor thalamus deep brain stimulation on speech and swallowing.

Lilly W Tang, Erinn M Grigsby, Arianna Damiani, Jonathan C Ho, Isabella M Montanaro, Sirisha Nouduri, Scott Ensel, Sara Trant, Theodora Constantine, Gregory M Adams and 12 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Lilly W Tang *Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Erinn M Grigsby *Rehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Arianna DamianiRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-8521-865X
Jonathan C HoRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Isabella M MontanaroRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Sirisha NouduriRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Scott EnselRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Sara TrantDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Theodora ConstantineDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Suite B-400, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Gregory M AdamsDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Suite B-400, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Denise V BalasonDepartment of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Tracey L ThomasUPMC Voice, Airway, & Swallow Center, UPMC Mercy Hospital, 1400 Locust St., Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Kelly ZdrowakDepartment of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo, 122 Cary Hall, South Campus, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Jordyn TingRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
George F WittenbergRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Kevin FranzeseDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, 3471 Fifth Avenue, Suite 910, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Bradford Z MahonDepartment of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2018-4797
Julie A FiezDepartment of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1090-2481
Donald J CrammondDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Suite B-400, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Kaila L StipancicDepartment of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, University at Buffalo, 122 Cary Hall, South Campus, Buffalo, NY, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5185-563X
Jorge A Gonzalez-MartinezDepartment of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, Suite B-400, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9936-7034
Elvira PirondiniRehab Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, 1622 Locust St., Floor 4, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. elvirap@pitt.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8078-3951

Funding

Deep brain stimulation of the motor thalamus to improve cortico-spinal control of muscles after strokeR01NS131428 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Jorge Alvaro Gonzalez-Martinez, Elvira Pirondini · 2024 to 2026
$1.8M
NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS131428
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Speech and swallowing are complex motor sequences driven by cortico-bulbar communication between motor cortex and cranial muscles. Damage to these pathways impairs strength and control of orofacial muscles, causing chronic dysarthria and dysphagia that increase social isolation, aspiration risks, and mortality. We show that motor thalamus Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) can improve these functions after traumatic brain injury (TBI). First, we demonstrated that low-frequency DBS (50-80 Hz) facilitates activation of cortico-bulbar fibers, immediately potentiating motor output in n = 8 participants with intact pathways. In a participant who sustained a TBI resulting in chronic moderate dysphagia and severe dysarthria, low-frequency DBS improved facial movement, swallowing efficiency, and speech intelligibility across respiratory, phonatory, and articulatory subsystems. Importantly, these improvements in facial articulator and speech subsystems control were specific to low-frequency (50-80 Hz) stimulation. These findings provide preliminary evidence that motor thalamus DBS can modulate corticobulbar circuitry to improve dysarthria and dysphagia following cerebral lesions.

Indexed as

Brain Injuries, TraumaticDeep Brain StimulationDeglutitionDeglutition DisordersSpeechThalamusAdultDysarthriaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMotor Cortex

Identifiers

PMID42471326
PMCPMC13493936

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.