(Technology Times) – People with neurological conditions, such as stroke and head injury, often have problems with swallowing food and drinking safely, which is called “neurogenic dysphagia”.
Unfortunately there are few effective treatments and many people subsequently develop pneumonia, which leads to extended stays in hospital and many even die.
In response to this, a group of experts carried out PHADER – the largest-ever study testing whether electrical stimulation of the back of the throat (pharynx), using a treatment catheter, would improve swallowing in people with a recent stroke or head injury, or who had been in an intensive care unit and needed ventilation. CONTINUE