Appendix 1. Search strategies PubMed search strategy
#1 Deglutition [Mesh]
#2 Deglutition Disorders [Mesh]
#3 (swallow* or deglutit* or dysphag*) and (disturbance* or disorder* or difficult*
or dysfunction* or impair* or condition* or abnormal* or damage* or injur*)
#4 (pharyn* or oropharyn*) and (disturbance* or disorder* or difficult* or dysfunction* or impair* or condition* or abnormal* or damage* or injur*)
#5 #1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4
#6 Electric Stimulation Therapy [Mesh]
#7 Electric Stimulation [Mesh]
#8 Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation[Mesh]
#9 (muscle* or muscular or neuromuscular or neuro-muscular)
#1 0
(electric* or electro*)
#1 1
stimulat*
#1 2
#9 AND #10 AND #11
#1 3
electrotherap*
#1 4
electrostim*
#1 5
electroneurostim*
#1 6
neurostim*
#1 7
NMES
#1 8
TENS
#1 9
#6 OR #7 OR #8 OR #12 OR #13 OR #14 OR #15 OR #16 OR #17 OR #18
#2 0
randomized controlled trial[pt]
#2 1
controlled clinical trial[pt]
#2 2
randomized[ab]
#2 3
placebo[ab]
#2 4
Random*[ab]
#2 5
trial[ab]
#2 6
groups[ab]
#2 7
#20 OR #21 OR #22 OR #23 OR #24 OR #25 OR #26
#2 8
#5 AND #19 AND #27
9
Embase search strategy
#1 'dysphagia'/exp
#2 'swallowing'/exp
#3 (swallow$ OR deglutit$ OR dysphag$) NEAR/3 (disturbance$ OR disorder$
OR difficult$ OR dysfunction$ OR impair$ OR condition$ OR abnormal$ OR damage$ OR injur$)
#4 (pharyn$ OR oropharyn$) NEAR/3 (disturbance$ OR disorder$ OR difficult$
OR dysfunction$ OR impair$ OR condition$ OR abnormal$ OR damage$ OR injur$)
#5 #1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4
#6 'transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation'/exp
#7 'electric stimulation therapy'/exp
#8 'electric stimulation'/exp
#9 (muscle$ OR muscular OR neuromuscular OR neuro-muscular) AND (electric$
OR electro$) AND stimulat$
#1 0
electrotherap$ OR electrostim$ OR electroneurostim$ OR neurostim$ OR NMES OR TENS
#1 1
#6 OR #7 OR #8 OR #9 OR #10
#1 2
randomized controlled trial
#1 3
controlled clinical trial
#1 4
Random*:ab
#1 5
placebo:ab
#1 6
trial:ab
#1 7
‘single-blind*’:ti,ab
#1 8
‘double-blind*’:ti,ab
#1 9
#12 OR #13 OR #14 OR #15 OR #16 OR #17 OR #18
#2 0
#5 AND #11 AND #19
#2 1
#5 AND #11 AND #19 AND [humans]/lim AND [english]/lim
The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) search strategy
#1 MeSH descriptor: [Deglutition] explode all trees
#2 MeSH descriptor: [Deglutition Disorders] explode all trees
#3 ((swallow* or deglutit* or dysphag*) near/3 (disturbance* or disorder* or difficult* or dysfunction* or impair* or condition* or abnormal* or damage* or injur*)):ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched)
#4 ((pharyn* or oropharyn*) near/3 (disturbance* or disorder* or difficult* or dysfunction* or impair* or condition* or abnormal* or damage* or injur*)):ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched)
#5 #1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4
#6 MeSH descriptor: [Electric Stimulation Therapy] explode all trees
#7 MeSH descriptor: [Electric Stimulation] explode all trees
#8 MeSH descriptor: [Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation] explode all trees
#9 ((muscle* or muscular or neuromuscular or neuro-muscular) and (electric* or electro*) and stimulat*): ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched)
#1 0
(electrotherap* or electrostim* or electroneurostim* or neurostim*):ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched)
#1 1
NMES:ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched)
#1 2
TENS:ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched)
3
#1 4
#5 AND #13
Web of science search strategy
#1 TS=((swallow* or deglutit* or dysphag*) NEAR/3 (disturbance* or disorder* or difficult* or dysfunction* or impair* or condition* or abnormal* or damage* or injur*))
#2 TS=((pharyn* or oropharyn*) NEAR/3 (disturbance* or disorder* or difficult*
or dysfunction* or impair* or condition* or abnormal* or damage* or injur*))
#3 #1 OR #2
#4 TS= ((muscle* or muscular or neuromuscular or neuro-muscular) and (electric*
or electro*) and stimulat*)
#5 TS= (electrotherap* or electrostim* or electroneurostim* or neurostim*)
#6 TS=NMES
#7 TS=TENS
#8 #4 OR #5 OR #6 OR #7
#9 TS=(random* or RCT or RCTs)
#1 0
TS=(controlled NEAR/5 (trial* or stud*))
#1 1
TS=(clinical* NEAR/5 trial*)
#1 2
TS=((control or treatment or experiment* or intervention) NEAR/5 (group* or subject* or patient*))
#1 3
TS=((control or experiment* or conservative) NEAR/5 (treatment or therapy or procedure or manage*))
#1 4
TS=((singl* or doubl*) NEAR/5 blind*)
#1 5
TS=placebo
#1 6
TS=trial
#1 7
#9 OR #10 OR #11 OR #12 OR #13 OR #14 OR #15 OR #16
#1 8
#3 AND #8 AND #17 Refined by: LANGUAGES: ( ENGLISH )
PEDro search strategy Advanced search
Abstract & Title: dysphagia
Therapy: electrotherapies, heat, cold Problem: no selection
Body part: head or neck Subdiscipline: no selection Topic: no selection
Method: clinical trial
Match all search terms (AND) Abstract & Title: Swallowing
Therapy: electrotherapies, heat, cold Problem: no selection
Body part: head or neck Subdiscipline: no selection Topic: no selection
Method: clinical trial
Match all search terms (AND)
Appendix 2.Funnel plot