Swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness: a scoping review

ObjectivePatients with disorders of consciousness often have concurrent swallowing difficulties, although the assessment methods, interventions, and their effectiveness have not been systematically described. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive review of assessment methods and rehabilitation...

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Main Authors: Hua Long, Bixia Lu, Qiao Tan, Dongmei Dai, Fengfei Zeng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Neuroscience
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1595393/full
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author Hua Long
Hua Long
Bixia Lu
Qiao Tan
Dongmei Dai
Fengfei Zeng
Fengfei Zeng
author_facet Hua Long
Hua Long
Bixia Lu
Qiao Tan
Dongmei Dai
Fengfei Zeng
Fengfei Zeng
author_sort Hua Long
collection DOAJ
description ObjectivePatients with disorders of consciousness often have concurrent swallowing difficulties, although the assessment methods, interventions, and their effectiveness have not been systematically described. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive review of assessment methods and rehabilitation interventions for swallowing function in patients with disorders of consciousness.MethodsThis scoping review was performed and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guideline. Studies that describe a screening method to examine swallowing function or assess a kind of swallowing management intervention among individuals with disorders of consciousness (DoC) were included. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework, databases including CNKI, WangFan, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane, Scopus, and Medline were systematically searched, from the inception of each database to June 2024. Relevant studies were extracted and analyzed. The main review question is “What has been studied about swallowing function management in patients with DoC?”.ResultsAssessment methods for swallowing function in patients with disorders of consciousness primarily included clinical swallowing assessments, scale-based evaluations, and instrument-based assessments. Rehabilitation interventions for swallowing function encompassed sensory stimulation, K-point stimulation, functional oral intake therapy, oral intermittent tube feeding, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and acupuncture therapy. Most of the included studies did not explicitly specify the timing of swallowing assessment and intervention.ConclusionA standardized approach for evaluating and intervening in swallowing function among patients with disorders of consciousness is notably lacking. Selecting appropriate swallowing assessment tools and devising evidence-based management plans tailored to assessment results could improve the swallowing function and patient outcomes. More high-quality designing research that compares the assessment accuracy of different evaluation methods, as well as develops personalized interventions are imperative.Systematic review registrationhttps://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/SURBY.
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publishDate 2025-04-01
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spelling doaj-art-0e2325a66af941c2b2a1c7e37d30399f2025-08-20T03:51:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2025-04-011910.3389/fnins.2025.15953931595393Swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness: a scoping reviewHua Long0Hua Long1Bixia Lu2Qiao Tan3Dongmei Dai4Fengfei Zeng5Fengfei Zeng6Department of Clinical Nursing, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaXiangya Boai Rehabilitation Hospital, Changsha, ChinaXiangya Boai Rehabilitation Hospital, Changsha, ChinaXiangya Boai Rehabilitation Hospital, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Nursing, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaObjectivePatients with disorders of consciousness often have concurrent swallowing difficulties, although the assessment methods, interventions, and their effectiveness have not been systematically described. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive review of assessment methods and rehabilitation interventions for swallowing function in patients with disorders of consciousness.MethodsThis scoping review was performed and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guideline. Studies that describe a screening method to examine swallowing function or assess a kind of swallowing management intervention among individuals with disorders of consciousness (DoC) were included. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework, databases including CNKI, WangFan, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane, Scopus, and Medline were systematically searched, from the inception of each database to June 2024. Relevant studies were extracted and analyzed. The main review question is “What has been studied about swallowing function management in patients with DoC?”.ResultsAssessment methods for swallowing function in patients with disorders of consciousness primarily included clinical swallowing assessments, scale-based evaluations, and instrument-based assessments. Rehabilitation interventions for swallowing function encompassed sensory stimulation, K-point stimulation, functional oral intake therapy, oral intermittent tube feeding, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and acupuncture therapy. Most of the included studies did not explicitly specify the timing of swallowing assessment and intervention.ConclusionA standardized approach for evaluating and intervening in swallowing function among patients with disorders of consciousness is notably lacking. Selecting appropriate swallowing assessment tools and devising evidence-based management plans tailored to assessment results could improve the swallowing function and patient outcomes. More high-quality designing research that compares the assessment accuracy of different evaluation methods, as well as develops personalized interventions are imperative.Systematic review registrationhttps://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/SURBY.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1595393/fulldisorders of consciousnessswallowing disorderscoping reviewassessmentintervention
spellingShingle Hua Long
Hua Long
Bixia Lu
Qiao Tan
Dongmei Dai
Fengfei Zeng
Fengfei Zeng
Swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness: a scoping review
Frontiers in Neuroscience
disorders of consciousness
swallowing disorder
scoping review
assessment
intervention
title Swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness: a scoping review
title_full Swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness: a scoping review
title_fullStr Swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness: a scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness: a scoping review
title_short Swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness: a scoping review
title_sort swallowing function management in patients with disorders of consciousness a scoping review
topic disorders of consciousness
swallowing disorder
scoping review
assessment
intervention
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1595393/full
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