NCT05989100

Taste Stimulation for Post-stroke Dysphagia

Effects of Taste Stimulation on Swallowing Function of Patient With Post-stroke Dysphagia and Its Mechanism

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 87 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Qilu Hospital of Shandong University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical study is to compare the effect of favourate taste stimulation of oral cavity and tounge, with sour and traditional single thermal stimulation in post-stroke patients with dysphagia. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Whether favourate taste stimulation of oral and tounge is better than traditional thermal stimulation in improving swallowing function of patients with dysphagia. 2. It has been reported that taste of sour stimulation can increase the frequency of swallowing. In this study, we want to know which is better for improving swallowing function between favourate taste stimulation and sour taste stimulation. 3. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) will be applied in this study to understand the neural mechanism of taste stimulation in improving swallowing function. Participants screened as post-stroke dysphagia will accept swallowing evaluation and fNIRS test before and after treatment. The treatment include taste stimulation and traditional swallowing training. Researchers will compare favourate taste stimulation with sour-taste stimulation and single thermal stimulation to see if the swallowing function improved faster and better in favourate taste stimulation group.

Detailed description

Taste perception can help to initiate swallow. Different taste has different impact on swallowing function. Patients with post-stroke dysphagia always have taste impairment and initiation delay of swallowing. In this study, patients with dysphagia after stroke will be recruited and treated with favourate taste stimulation or sour taste stimulation or non-taste stimulation for 2 weeks. Traditional swallowing rehabilitation will be applied base on the status of patients. Before and after the treatment, participants completed swallowing assessment, including quantitative measurement of hyoid displacement, functional oral intake scale (FOIS), dysphagia severity rating scale (DSRS), and standardized swallowing assessment (SSA). In order to understand the effect of taste stimulation on brain network, fNIRS will be conducted.The participants have to conduct these examination three to four weeks after the treatment to undertand the long-time effect of taste stimulation.

Conditions

• Stroke
• Dysphagia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Favourate taste stimulation	The taste stimulaiton for swallowing is completed with long swab. Taste solution will be prepared with sugar, salt, citric acid, or paprika mixed with water. And the swab will be immersed in the solution and freezed in -18℃ circumstances. Bilateral buccal mucosa，palate and tounge will be brushed. Four swabs will be used in a training session.
BEHAVIORAL	Sour taste stimulation	Using sour swab to brush oral cavity and tounge.
BEHAVIORAL	Thermal stimulation group	Only ice-water swab to brush oral cavity and tounge.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-09-01
• Primary completion: 2025-01-31
• Completion: 2025-07-31
• First posted: 2023-08-14
• Last updated: 2023-12-01

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: China