Abstract
Purpose: Advances in artificial intelligence and sensor-based health monitoring are transforming dysphagia care from early screening to personalized rehabilitation (Wong et al., 2025; Alter et al., 2025). This study evaluated the feasibility of the Digital Swallowing Pressure Ball (DSPB), a nursing-led innovation integrating real-time pressure sensing, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmission, and cloud analytics to enhance individualized swallowing rehabilitation. The DSPB addresses limitations of conventional Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) exercises, which lack quantifiable feedback and remote monitoring (Archer et al., 2020).
Methods: A four-week pilot study was conducted with 11 participants with dysphagia after stroke or traumatic brain injury. The DSPB embeds a medical-grade pressure sensor in a silicone ball, synchronized with a BLE-connected mobile app that provides real-time feedback and uploads data to a secure cloud platform. Participants performed daily DSPB-assisted CTAR training under therapist supervision. Outcome measures included surface electromyography (sEMG) for submental muscle activation, Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), and Swallowing Quality of Life (SWAL-QOL). Pre–post data were compared using paired t-tests.
Results: After four weeks, participants showed significant improvement in swallowing performance. sEMG amplitude increased from 7.54±5.29mV to 20.88±14.78mV (p = .038), and FOIS scores improved from 3.27±2.15 to 5.09±1.51 (p < .001). Half of those using nasogastric feeding resumed partial oral intake. The DSPB maintained a safe pressure range (1.5–2.8 psi) and received high usability ratings. Cloud analytics supported therapist monitoring and individualized intensity adjustment, aligning with trends in AI-enhanced wearable sensors for swallowing and throat-event detection (Gazzanti Pugliese di Cotrone et al., 2025; Song et al., 2025; Dang et al., 2025).
Conclusion: The DSPB demonstrates how nursing-driven emerging technologies can merge engineering, informatics, and evidence-based practice to advance precision swallowing rehabilitation. By embedding wearable sensor innovation and real-time feedback into clinical care (Malandraki, 2023), it exemplifies transformation of nursing practice within the WHO (2023) global digital health framework. This scalable model strengthens nursing leadership in digital rehabilitation, promoting accessible, data-driven, person-centered care for aging and neurologically impaired populations.
Notes
References:
Alter, I. L., Dias, C., Briano, J., & Rameau, A. (2025). Digital health technologies in swallowing care from screening to rehabilitation: A narrative review. Auris Nasus Larynx, 52(4), 319–326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anl.2025.05.002
Archer, S. K., Smith, C. H., & Newham, D. J. (2020). Surface electromyographic biofeedback and the effortful swallow exercise for stroke-related dysphagia and in healthy ageing. Dysphagia, 35(5), 832–844. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-020-10129-8
Dang, T. B., Nguyen, C. C., Do, T. N., & Phan, H.-P. (2025). Flexible, wearable mechano-acoustic sensors for body sound monitoring. Nanoscale, 17(10), Article. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4nr05145a
Gazzanti Pugliese di Cotrone, M. A., Akhtar, N. F., Patera, M., Gallo, S., Mosca, U., Ghislieri, M., Ferraris, C., Suppa, A., Artusi, C. A., & Zampogna, A. (2025). Early detection of dysphagia signs in Parkinson’s disease: An artificial-intelligence-based approach using non-invasive sensors. Sensors, 25(22), 6834. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25226834
Malandraki, G. A. (2023). Advances for dysphagia in the digital age: Integrative imaging and wearable technologies. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 75(4), 224–233. https://doi.org/10.1159/000531265
Song, Y., Yun, I., Giovanoli, S., Easthope, C., & Chung, Y. (2025). Multimodal deep ensemble classification system with wearable vibration sensor for detecting throat-related events. npj Digital Medicine, 8, Article 14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01417-w
Wong, D. W. C., Gratrix, M., & Tsang, R. C. C. (2025). Current technological advances in dysphagia screening: A review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27(1), e65551. https://doi.org/10.2196/65551
World Health Organization. (2023). Global strategy on digital health 2020–2025. WHO Press. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240020924
Sigma Membership
Lambda Beta at-Large
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Pilot/Exploratory Study
Keywords:
Academic-Clinical Partnership, Collaboration, Long-Term Care, Long Term Care, Implementation Science, Dysphagia Therapy, Swallowing Therapy, Digital Technology
Recommended Citation
Chen, Nai Ching; Lin, Yu-Ru; Chou, Yi; Chen, Huei-Yu; Lin, Chia-Shu; Weng, Jui-Yu; and Kuo, Jinn-Rung, "Digital Pressure Sensing Technology for Dysphagia Rehabilitation: A Nursing-Led Pilot Study" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 49.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/posters_2026/49
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-07-30
Digital Pressure Sensing Technology for Dysphagia Rehabilitation: A Nursing-Led Pilot Study
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Purpose: Advances in artificial intelligence and sensor-based health monitoring are transforming dysphagia care from early screening to personalized rehabilitation (Wong et al., 2025; Alter et al., 2025). This study evaluated the feasibility of the Digital Swallowing Pressure Ball (DSPB), a nursing-led innovation integrating real-time pressure sensing, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmission, and cloud analytics to enhance individualized swallowing rehabilitation. The DSPB addresses limitations of conventional Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) exercises, which lack quantifiable feedback and remote monitoring (Archer et al., 2020).
Methods: A four-week pilot study was conducted with 11 participants with dysphagia after stroke or traumatic brain injury. The DSPB embeds a medical-grade pressure sensor in a silicone ball, synchronized with a BLE-connected mobile app that provides real-time feedback and uploads data to a secure cloud platform. Participants performed daily DSPB-assisted CTAR training under therapist supervision. Outcome measures included surface electromyography (sEMG) for submental muscle activation, Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), and Swallowing Quality of Life (SWAL-QOL). Pre–post data were compared using paired t-tests.
Results: After four weeks, participants showed significant improvement in swallowing performance. sEMG amplitude increased from 7.54±5.29mV to 20.88±14.78mV (p = .038), and FOIS scores improved from 3.27±2.15 to 5.09±1.51 (p < .001). Half of those using nasogastric feeding resumed partial oral intake. The DSPB maintained a safe pressure range (1.5–2.8 psi) and received high usability ratings. Cloud analytics supported therapist monitoring and individualized intensity adjustment, aligning with trends in AI-enhanced wearable sensors for swallowing and throat-event detection (Gazzanti Pugliese di Cotrone et al., 2025; Song et al., 2025; Dang et al., 2025).
Conclusion: The DSPB demonstrates how nursing-driven emerging technologies can merge engineering, informatics, and evidence-based practice to advance precision swallowing rehabilitation. By embedding wearable sensor innovation and real-time feedback into clinical care (Malandraki, 2023), it exemplifies transformation of nursing practice within the WHO (2023) global digital health framework. This scalable model strengthens nursing leadership in digital rehabilitation, promoting accessible, data-driven, person-centered care for aging and neurologically impaired populations.
Description
This nursing-led pilot study introduced the Digital Swallowing Pressure Ball (DSPB), integrating real-time pressure sensing, Bluetooth transmission, and cloud analytics to improve dysphagia rehabilitation. In a four-week trial with eleven participants, the DSPB significantly enhanced swallowing muscle activation and oral intake, illustrating how emerging digital technologies advance nursing leadership in precision, data-driven, and person-centered rehabilitation.