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CC BY 4.0 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2025; 29(03): s00451802579
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1802579
Original Research

Immediate Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Swallowing in Elderly People with Alzheimer's Dementia

Eliene Giovanna Ribeiro 
1   Department of Speech Therapy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
,
Cris Magna dos Santos Oliveira 
2   Department of Speech Therapy, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Universidade de São Paulo, Bauru, SP, Brazil
,
Aline Mansueto Mourão 
1   Department of Speech Therapy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
,
Laélia Cristina Caseiro Vicente 
1   Department of Speech Therapy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
,
Andréa Rodrigues Motta 
1   Department of Speech Therapy, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
,
Heitor Marques Honório 
3   Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics, and Public Health, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Universidade de São Paulo, Bauru, SP, Brazil
,
Giédre Berretin-Felix 
2   Department of Speech Therapy, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, Universidade de São Paulo, Bauru, SP, Brazil
› Author Affiliations
Funding The authors declare that they received funding from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) to conduct the present study.
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Abstract

Introduction

Dysphagia affects a significant number of patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation may be a promising resource for dysphagia rehabilitation in this population.

Objective

To investigate the immediate effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on hyoid bone displacement, pharyngeal transit time, and swallowing safety in elderly people with Alzheimer's dementia.

Methods

We evaluated 30 elderly individuals with an average age of 82.79 years, regardless of the stage of dementia and with reduced hyolaryngeal elevation, using the Northwestern Dysphagia Patient Check Sheet. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation was performed at the sensory and motor levels in the submental region during videofluoroscopy, with food being offered in solid, pudding, and liquid consistencies, and in portions of 5 mL and 10 mL. We applied Analysis of variance and the Friedman test, adopting a significance level of < 5%.

Results

The comparison between the sensory and motor levels of stimulation showed that there was a significant difference in hyoid bone displacement for the mushy consistency, with neuromuscular stimulation at the motor level. There was no difference in the application of stimuli for the other consistencies regarding hyoid bone displacement, pharyngeal transit time, and the penetration and aspiration scale.

Conclusion

In elderly people with Alzheimer's dementia, neuromuscular electrical stimulation at the motor level generated a reduction in hyoid bone displacement during swallowing of food with pudding consistency, with no effects on pharyngeal transit time or swallowing safety.

Keywords

dementia - Alzheimer disease - deglutition disorders - electrical stimulation - speech-language pathology


Publication History

Received: 28 May 2024

Accepted: 17 November 2024

Article published online:
25 July 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
Eliene Giovanna Ribeiro, Cris Magna dos Santos Oliveira, Aline Mansueto Mourão, Laélia Cristina Caseiro Vicente, Andréa Rodrigues Motta, Heitor Marques Honório, Giédre Berretin-Felix. Immediate Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Swallowing in Elderly People with Alzheimer's Dementia. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2025; 29: s00451802579.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1802579