The Effectiveness of Vibration Stimulation on Oropharyngeal Function Related to Swallowing: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: There are different techniques for management of dysphagia. Vibratory stimulation is a non-invasive therapeutic technique that has noticed in dysphagia management. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of vibratory stimulation on oropharyngeal function related to swallowing. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Embase, web of science, Cochrane library and ProQuest were searched until November 2022. The studies published in English that investigated the effects of vibratory stimulation on oropharyngeal functions related to swallowing were included. Methodological quality of the studies was appraised using JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) tools. Studies receiving more than 50 of total scores in critical appraisal assessment were considered for data extraction. Findings: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 9 studies and after critical appraisal, 7 articles were data extracted. These studies had investigated the effect of vibratory stimulation on the control of drooling, oral-pharyngeal dysphagia symptoms in patients, and swallowing mechanism in healthy individuals. Conclusion: The results of studies indicated that vibratory stimulation has therapeutic potential to be added to the conventional rehabilitation treatments. But there are still many questions about the frequency of vibration, target muscles, duration and frequency of treatment, as well as the underlying pathophysiology of swallowing disorder. Therefore, further clinical trial studies with sufficient sample size are needed. © 2025, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.