Article

Effect of Orofacial Exercise on the Swallowing Function of Stroke Patients

Author

강보미(Bo-Mi Kang), 권혁철(Hyuk-Cheol Kwon), 김환(Hwan Kim), 조영남(Young-Nam Cho)

Information

pp. 57~69 / 2013 Vol.21 No.1

Abstract

This research was conducted to determine how orofacial exercises affect the swallowing function of stroke patients. Methods : Based on the standards for subject selection, 10 patients were chosen for this study. Five subjects in the experimental group received orofacial exercises and traditional dysphagia therapy consecutively for 15 minutes each. In contrast, five subjects as a control group received traditional dysphagia therapy twice in a row for 15 minutes each during every session. Therapeutic intervention was conducted five times per week for four weeks. To compare the swallowing function before and after each therapeutic intervention, the scale was scored utilizing the New Video Fluoroscopic Swallowing Study (New VFSS) scale. Moreover, the patient's tongue pressure was measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) to compare their orofacial strength before and after the therapy. Results : The swallowing functions in both groups showed a statistically significant difference before and after intervention. All patients in the experimental group had significant differences in tongue elevation, tongue lateralization, tongue protrusion, cheek compression pressure, and lip compression pressure. The control group, however, showed significant differences in only tongue elevation. Conclusion : The orofacial exercises used in this study showed significant improvements in the swallowing functions and orofacial muscle strength of stroke patients suffering from dysphagia.

Keywords