Efficacy of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Sensory Motor Facilitation versus Sham Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Dysphagia Severity, Swallowing Ability, and Quality of Life in subjects with Dysphagia due to Acute Stroke - A Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial

Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) is acommon and debilitating complication. Current treatments for post-stroke dysphagia, such astraditional swallowing therapy, often have limited success.Stoke with severe dysphagia has a devastating impact on quality of life as it can eliminate thepleasure of eating and drinking. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortalityincluding dehydration, malnutrition, airway obstruction, and aspiration pneumonia. Lessrecognized is the impact of dysphagia on psychosocial functions. It can lead to isolation as thepatient withdraws from activities involving food such as family mealtimes, group dinners, andteatime.The earlier studies have focused on either oropharyngeal muscle re-education andstrengthening or non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) such as rTMS separately but not in combined form. Sensory motor stimulation and rTMS may work together to enhanceneuroplasticity, promoting the formation of new neural connections and facilitating recoveryof swallowing function. This combined approach may lead to improved clinical outcomes, suchas reduced aspiration risk, improved nutritional status, and enhanced quality of life for strokesurvivors with dysphagia.Hence to find out the effectiveness of rTMS over sham TMS on clinical outcomes in subjectswith dysphagia in acute stroke has to be conducted.