Effect of Electrical Stimulation on the Treatment of Dysphonia: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to review systematically the literature and to investigate the effects of electrical stimulation in treating dysphonia. STUDY DESIGN: This is a systematic review. METHODS: The publications indexed on the MEDLINE, LILACS, PubMed, Web of Science, and SciELO databases were searched. Original articles with experimental, clinical trial and randomized studies involving a control group and approaching dysphonia treatment with electrical stimulation in humans, regardless of age, gender, or race were included. Those excluded were theses, editorials, comments and opinions, reflexive articles, case studies, experimental studies with animals, models, projects, reports and technical reports, and review articles, as well as articles approaching other alterations, not related to dysphonia. RESULTS: Eleven articles were found and it evaluated the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on dysphonia caused by vocal fold paralysis, spasmodic dysphonia, behavioral dysphonia, and in patients with vocal fold nodules. The methodological analysis of the articles through the PEDro scale resulted in a mean score of 5.18; the studies were classified as either high quality (N = 3) or fair quality (N = 8). The results indicated that electrical stimulation had a therapeutic effect on various aspects of dysphonia. However, due to the high risk of bias and the heterogeneity of the studies, it is not possible to state the effectiveness of electrical stimulation in treating dysphonia. CONCLUSION: Using electrical stimulation as an evidence-based conventional rehabilitation therapy in the treatment of dysphonia cannot yet be done.

The use of photobiomodulation for the muscles of head and neck: an integrative review / O uso da fotobiomodulação nos músculos da cabeça e pescoço: revisão integrativa da literatura

ABSTRACT Purpose To carry out an integrative review of the literature on the use of photobiomodulation (PBM) for the head and neck muscles. Research strategy The research took place between June/2019 and March/2021, in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS, and SciELO. The MeSH used were Low-Level Light Therapy, Phototherapy, Masseter Muscle, Masticatory Muscles, Tongue, Palate, Mouth, Neck Muscles, and Facial Muscles in English and Portuguese. No limitation was imposed on the year and language of publication. Selection criteria studies that answered the guiding question: what is the use of photobiomodulation to the head and neck muscles?. Results 2857 articles were found, of which 102 were selected for full reading, 52 of those were excluded, giving a total of 50 articles included. The included publications date from 2003 to 2020. Brazil was the country that most published on the topic. With regard to the objectives, 82% of the studies aimed to investigate the analgesic effect of PBM, of these, 50% were related to articular or muscular temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The heterogeneity of the studies makes it impossible to define the dose protocols. Conclusion PBM has been applied to the head and neck muscles mainly for the treatment of pain caused by TMD. There is no treatment protocol to define the doses to be used, due the heterogeneity of the methodologies applied and results found.

RESUMO Objetivos realizar uma revisão integrativa da literatura sobre o uso da fotobiomodulação nos músculos de cabeça e pescoço. Estratégia de pesquisa As buscar foram realizadas nas bases de dados: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS e SciELO. A pesquisa ocorreu entre junho de 2019 e março de 2021. Os descritores utilizados foram Terapia com Luz de Baixa Intensidade, Fototerapia, Músculo Masseter, Músculos Mastigatórios, Língua, Palato, Boca, Pescoço, Músculos do Pescoço, Músculos Faciais e seus respectivos termos em inglês. Não houve limitação de ano de publicação e idioma. Critérios de seleção estudos que respondessem a pergunta norteadora: qual o uso da fotobiomodulação na musculatura de cabeça e pescoço?. Resultados Foram encontrados 2857 artigos, sendo selecionados 102 para leitura completa, dos quais 52 foram excluídos, totalizando 50 artigos incluídos. As publicações incluídas datam de 2003 a 2020. O Brasil foi o país que mais publicou sobre o tema. Quanto aos objetivos, 82% dos estudos pesquisaram o efeito analgésico da fotobiomodulação, e desses, 50% eram relacionados à disfunção temporomandibular (DTM) articular ou muscular. A heterogeneidade dos estudos impossibilita a definição de protocolos dosimétricos. Conclusão A fotobiomodulação tem sido utilizada na musculatura de cabeça e pescoço principalmente para o tratamento da dor proveniente de DTM. Não existe um protocolo de aplicação que defina os parâmetros dosimétricos a serem utilizados, devido a heterogeneidade das metodologias e dos resultados encontrados.