Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of the effortful swallow exercise and use of biofeedback on digastric muscle contraction in adults with post-stroke dysphagia. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was utilized for this investigation to measure digastric muscle contraction. Method: Three patients in an acute care hospital who experienced dysphagia following a new stroke participated in a withdrawal-reversal A-B-A single care design investigation. The investigation examined the effect of the independent variable, surface electromyography (sEMG) biofeedback, on the dependent variable, the amount of digastric muscle contraction during completion of the effortful swallow. In the baseline phase, the participants completed the effortful swallow alone without a biofeedback tool. In the intervention phase, the participants completed the effortful swallow alone without a biofeedback tool. In the intervention phase, the participants completed the effortful swallow with biofeedback. In the withdrawal phase, the participants completed the effortful swallow without the biofeedback tool. All participants completed a total of 18 sessions. Results: Visual analyses revealed no clear therapeutic effects for the participants fro Phase A to B, or Phase B to A. However, all three participants did show some positive progress when examining the data via visual representation. Conclusion: The findings may offer meaningful perspectives into the efficacy of the effortful swallow exercise with the use of sEMG biofeedback for intervention purposes and preparation for potential detraining effects.
