Feasibility of electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation as an adjunct to constraint-induced movement therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this case report is to explore the feasibility of electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation (EMG-stim) as an adjunct to constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT).


METHODS
The patient was a 72-year-old man, 10 years poststroke, who did not meet traditional CIMT criteria. The EMG-stim was applied to the wrist extensors of the patient's weaker arm for one half of the CIMT training hours.


RESULTS
The intervention was feasible for this individual. Improvements were observed in motor behavior, quality and amount of use, muscle activity, wrist range of motion, and reaction time of the more-affected extremity. These improvements were paralleled by a change in the size and location of the extensor digitorum communis muscle representation in the primary motor cortex, as measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation mapping.


CONCLUSIONS
These changes suggest that using EMG-stim as an adjunct to CIMT should be further investigated in individuals who have low functional abilities following stroke.
Fritz
Stacy L
SL
Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, 1300 Wheat St, Blatt PE Bldg, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. sfritz@gwm.sc.edu
Chiu
Yi-Po
YP
Malcolm
Matthew P
MP
Patterson
Tara S
TS
Light
Kathye E
KE
D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation