Effect of Device-Assisted Therapy in Children With Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: A Rapid Review

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the state of the evidence regarding device-assisted therapy for swallowing physiology and functional feeding outcomes in children with oropharyngeal dysphagia. Method: This rapid review methodology identified relevant literature through a narrow search strategy applied to three relevant databases using search strategies specific to the electronic database and searching the following keywords and their variations: "pediatric," "dysphagia," "device-assisted," and "therapy." Searches took place between February and March 2023. Device-assisted therapy was defined as therapy that utilized instruments capable of providing objective data about patient performance and/or providing mechanically controlled external stimulation to the client during therapy. Results: This rapid review identified seven peer-reviewed journal articles relating to device-assisted dysphagia therapy in pediatric patients, 1-18 years of age. Most of the included articles were observational in nature and reported on the impact of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on swallowing physiology in children. Critical appraisal of the experimental articles revealed generally small sample size and low methodological quality. Conclusions: This rapid review indicates that there is limited empirical evidence to support the use of device-assisted therapeutic modalities in children with oropharyngeal dysphagia 1-18 years of age. Further research into the effect of device-assisted therapeutic modalities on swallowing physiology and functional feeding outcomes in pediatric populations is immediately required. Oropharyngeal dysphagia in pediatric populations can arise from a number of different primary conditions, which commonly include cerebral palsy (CP) and other nervous system disorders, craniofacial malformations, airway malformations, congenital cardiac disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and history of prematurity (Dodrill & Gosa, 2015). Pediatric oropharyngeal dysphagia that results in aspiration puts children at risk for significant respiratory morbidity and even mortality if left untreated (Tutor & Gosa, 2012). Unfortunately