ArticleFrontiers in neurology2026
Non-invasive vagus nerve magnetic stimulation combined with rehabilitation training for vocal cord paralysis and dysphagia following brain injury: a prospective case series study.
Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Vocal cord paralysis combined with dysphagia following brain injury is a severe complication associated with aspiration pneumonia, asphyxiation, and malnutrition, for which traditional rehabilitation yields limited efficacy. Non-invasive vagus nerve magnetic stimulation (nVNMS) is an emerging neuromodulation technology; however, systematic clinical studies addressing this specific dual-deficit population remain lacking. Methods: A prospective case series study was conducted at Guangdong Sanjiu Brain Hospital (June 2024-May 2025), consecutively enrolling 38 inpatients with brain injury-related vocal cord paralysis and dysphagia. All patients received a 21-day combined protocol comprising left mastoid nVNMS (5 Hz, 20 min/session, once daily), low-frequency pulse electrical stimulation for swallowing (20 min/session, once daily), and manual swallowing training (30 min/session, once daily). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and post-treatment using the Standardized Swallowing Assessment (SSA), Food Intake Level Scale (FILS), Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS), and laryngoscopy, with adverse events recorded throughout. Results: After treatment, SSA scores decreased from 36.92 ± 4.71 to 32.63 ± 7.10 ( Conclusion: As a preliminary case series without a control group, nVNMS combined with rehabilitation training may improve swallowing safety and vocal cord function and reduce airway management requirements in patients following brain injury, with favorable short-term safety. Owing to the lack of a control group, the specific effect of nVNMS and the impact of natural recovery cannot be differentiated; thus, multicenter randomized controlled trials are required for further validation.
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