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The Effect of Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation on Peripheral Biomechanical Aspects of Deglutition

The Effect of Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation (PES) on Peripheral Biomechanical Aspects of Deglutition

Status
Recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05666141
Acronym
PES
Enrollment
84
Registered
2022-12-27
Start date
2022-06-07
Completion date
2025-09-30
Last updated
2024-12-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Dysphagia, Dysphagia Following Cerebrovascular Accident

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to clarify which biomechanical aspects of swallowing are altered by Pharyngeal Electrical Stimulation (PES) in stroke patients, ICU patients and healthy volunteers. The peripheral effect of PES intervention on the biomechanics of swallowing will be evaluated with High Resolution Manometry Impedance (HRMI).

Detailed description

HRMI combines the evaluation of bolus flow patterns (impedance) and pressure (manometry) generated during swallowing. 20 healthy volunteers will participate, of which 10 will receive PES stimulation and 10 will receive Sham treatment. Maximally 24 patients with dysphagia after acute stroke will be included. Group 1 will receive PES stimulation twice, group 2 will receive PES stimulation and afterwards Sham and group 3 will receive Sham twice. Maximally 40 patients with Critical Illness Polyneuropathy/Myopathy or Post-Extubation Dysphagia will participate, of which 20 will receive PES stimulation and 20 will receive Sham treatment.

Interventions

A Phagenyx catheter is inserted trans-nasally. The catheter design incorporates a nasogastric feeding tube with built-in stimulation electrodes. The intervention consists of 3 PES sessions. A session is a 10-minute stimulation, once per day. The sessions will be given on three consecutive days at optimal parameters.

OTHERSham treatment

In the Sham condition, the same method and same device will be used. The time spent interacting with the patient will remain constant, including placement of the PES catheter which will be left in situ in the subject for the duration of intervention (10 minutes). However, the base-station will be set to 0 milliampere (mA), so Sham subjects do not receive any active electrical current.

Sponsors

Phagenesis Ltd.
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Caregiver)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

volunteers: Healthy volunteers can participate in this study if they: * Are aged between 18 and 80 years old * Have no (history of) chronic disease/medication altering the gastrointestinal (GI) motility * Have no (history of) gastric or gastrointestinal surgery (except appendectomy and cholecystectomy) * Have no (history of) gastrointestinal disease or chronic GI symptoms (heartburn, indigestion/dyspepsia, bloating and constipation) * Have FOIS score 7 or BEDQ score \<10 at baseline * Provide witnessed written informed consent prior to any study procedure And if they do not meet any of the

Exclusion criteria

listed below.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in pressure-flow metricsChange from Baseline at 1-2 hours, 24-72 hours and one week (only in patients) after PES/Sham intervention.The primary outcome measure are alterations of the biomechanics of swallowing, assessed with HRMI. Analysis of these measurements results in pressure impedance metrics of deglutition, called Pressure Flow Analysis (PFA) parameters. These outcomes are numerical measures that can be compared to reference ranges to detect abnormality and to predict aspiration risk through derivation of a swallow risk index (SRI). An SRI \> 15 indicates global swallowing dysfunction and aspiration risk, so higher scores mean a worse outcome.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Functional Oral Intake ScaleChange from Baseline at 24-72 hours and one week after last PES/Sham interventionThe Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) encompasses the amount and type of food that can be safely consumed, any special preparations of that food, any maneuvers or compensation being used to facilitate the swallow and the amount of supervision required if any. This valid, reliable, concise scale consists of seven levels that range from a patient who is unable to orally consume any food or liquid at Level 1, to a patient who is consuming an oral diet with no restrictions at Level 7. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Brief Esophageal Dysphagia Questionnaire (BEDQ)Change from Baseline at 24-72 hours and one week after last PES/Sham interventionThe Brief Esophageal Dysphagia Questionnaire (BEDQ) is a 10-item self-report measure of oesophageal dysphagia symptom frequency (five items), severity (three items), and impaction (two items) with a total score ranging from 0 (asymptomatic) to 40. Higher scores indicate greater severity and frequency of oesophageal dysphagia symptoms, so a worse outcome.
Change in Dysphagia Severity Rating Scale (DSRS) in patientsChange from Baseline at 24-72 hours and one week after last PES/Sham interventionThe Dysphagia Severity Rating Scale (DSRS) reflects the feeding status of patients across 3 domains: fluid modification, dietary adaptation and supervision requirements. The total score ranges from 0 (normal fluids, normal diet, and eating independently) to 12 (no oral fluids, no oral feeding). A higher score means a worse outcome.
Change in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) in stroke patientsChange from Baseline at 24-72 hours and one week after last PES/Sham interventionThe National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a reliable, valid 15-item impairment scale for measuring stroke severity. Item scores are summed to a total score ranging from 0 to 42 (the higher the score, the more severe the stroke: \<5 limited stroke; 5-14 moderately severe stroke; 15-25 severe stroke; \>25 very severe stroke). A higher score means a worse outcome.
Change in Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) in patientsChange from Baseline at 24-72 hours and one week after last PES/Sham interventionThe Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) is an 8-point ordinal scale to describe penetration and aspiration events, primarily by the depth to which material passes in the airway and by whether or not material entering the airway is expelled. Score 1 means that material does not enter the airway (no dysphagia). Score 8 means: material enters the airway, passes below the vocal folds and no effort is made to eject (severe dysphagia). A higher score means a worse outcome. These PAS scores are measured instrumentally by Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES).

Countries

Belgium

Contacts

Primary ContactNathalie Rommel
nathalie.rommel@kuleuven.be+3216330483
Backup ContactMarthe Everaert
marthe.everaert@kuleuven.be+3216320429

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026