الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Objective: The aim of this work was to systematically review the studies which assess the effects of physical therapy interventions on orofacial dysfunction after stroke. Methods: Systematic review of all published randomized controlled studies with or without blinding. A search was made in Medline, Cochrane library, PEDro, and Google scholar. Intervention: physical therapy interventions (Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and therapeutic exercises) used with acute or sub-acute stroke patients. Outcome measures: swallowing, mastication, bite force, facial muscles strength. Results: Only 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. Two meta-analyses were done, one for NMES studies (three studies) and the other for TMS studies (three studies) as they are homogenous and descriptive analysis was done to six studies as they are heterogeneous. NMES may have a significant effect on swallowing ability and dysphagia. TMS showed a significant effect on swallowing ability especially when applied at the bilateral motor cortices showed a greater effect than unilateral. The studies which underwent the descriptive analysis are showed a significant effect on swallowing ability, mastication and facial muscles weakness. Conclusion: The current level of evidence is in supporting the effectiveness of physical therapy interventions on orofacial dysfunction recovery after stroke |