Face recognition-driven video game for dysphagia rehabilitation in stroke patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of face recognition-driven video game (FR-VG) swallowing training for stroke patients with dysphagia.

Design: A single-blind pilot randomized controlled trial.

Setting: A rehabilitation center.

Participants: Stroke patients with dysphagia (N=26).

Interventions: Participants in the intervention group were trained using FR-VG, while the control group used the conventional method (i.e. lip exercise, tongue exercise, and lower jaw exercise). The training was conducted five days a week over four weeks.

Outcome measures: The swallowing function and swallowing-related quality of life between the two groups were observed before and after the intervention. The acceptance of FR-VG in the intervention group and the adherence of the patients in the two groups after the intervention were analyzed.

Results: A total of 26 stroke patients with dysphagia were included. The results showed that after the intervention, both groups exhibited significant improvements in swallowing function and swallowing-related quality of life compared to the pre-intervention (p < 0.05). Patients in the intervention group demonstrated better swallowing function than the control group on the Gugging swallowing screen (p = 0.015) and functional oral intake scale (p = 0.004). The intervention group had high acceptance of the FR-VG training and had significantly better adherence compared to the control group (p = 0.032).

Conclusions: FR-VG rehabilitation training can help improve swallowing function, swallowing-related quality of life, and training adherence in stroke patients with dysphagia. Patients have a high acceptance of FR-VG rehabilitation training, which can be used as an adjunctive method to conventional rehabilitation.