Vitalstim Case Study

Safa and Lana are two sisters who were developing typically until a near drowning accident. The accident caused both to have anoxic brain damage and dysphagia. VitalStim was the therapy technique chosen for both girls per the parent’s request. After learning about VitalStim from the girl’s Occupation Therapist and researching the technique, the parents decided to give it a try in attempt to strengthen their daughter’s swallowing function. VitalStim involves two electrodes placed over the skin just below the jaw and two electrodes placed immediately above the thyroid notch. The pulses are intended to “wake up” the muscles required to swallow.

In a study performed by Christiaanse et al., researches studied the effectiveness of using Neuromuscular Electrical Simulation (NMES) for treatment in the pediatric population with primary and acquired dysphagia. It was hypothesized that there may be a difference in the results of children who had primary dysphagia than those who had acquired dysphagia. In was noted that the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FIOS) levels improved more for children with acquired dysphagia who used NMES than for those who did not. This suggested that the use of NMES for children with acquired
The results were as follows. At the start of the therapy treatment, Safa was not swallowing at all and after six months of VitalStim treatment, she is able to swallow 10-20 times per session. She improved in her secretion management and although she is still aspirating, she now coughs to clear the food. While Safa has made great gains in her swallowing, Lana has improved at an even greater rate. Lana was able to swallow food without much aversion to the food presented. She is now tolerating thin and nectar consistencies. Although she had more brain damage initially, the VitalStim treatment proved to be more beneficial for her than for