Aural stimulation with capsaicin ointment improved swallowing function in elderly patients with dysphagia: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, comparative study

As capsaicin is an agonist of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), these findings suggest that improvement of the swallowing function, especially glottal closure and cough reflexes, in elderly dysphagic patients was due to TRPV1-mediated aural stimulation of vagal Arnold's nerve with capsaicin, but not with a nonspecific mechanical stimulation with a cotton swab.