Wearable biofeedback device to help swallowing after neurologic injury
Official title: Impact of wearable biofeedback for the rehabilitation and tele-rehabilitation of neurogenic dysphagia
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11471381 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project helps people with swallowing problems from neurologic conditions use a small wearable sensor that shows neck muscle activity to guide exercises and improve swallowing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $452,892 |
| NIH project number | 7R01AG086371-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11471381 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with neurogenic dysphagia from neurologic conditions like stroke, Parkinson's disease, or traumatic brain injury who can follow instructions and perform head/neck swallowing exercises.
✕Less likely to help
People whose swallowing problems are not due to neurologic causes, those with severe cognitive impairment or inability to perform exercises safely, or those with structural obstructions may not benefit from this wearable biofeedback approach.
What this research studies
You would wear a small, low-cost surface sensor (i-Phagia) on the head/neck that shows your muscle activity in real time while you do swallowing and head/neck exercises. The research team will run a large randomized trial comparing biofeedback-guided exercises to comparable therapy without the wearable, with some therapy delivered in person and some via tele-rehabilitation. The device also records adherence data that clinicians can review to tailor training and monitor progress remotely. The goal is to see whether adding this wearable feedback helps people regain safer, more effective swallowing and makes therapy easier to do at home.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make swallowing therapy more effective and more accessible by using an affordable wearable that patients can use at home, reducing choking risk and improving quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Small-scale studies of head/neck exercises with biofeedback have shown promising results, but large randomized trials using wearable sEMG devices have not yet been completed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Malandraki, Georgia — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Malandraki, Georgia
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Wearable biofeedback to improve swallowing after neurological diseases
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.