Electrical stimulation of wrist and fingers for sensory and functional recovery in acute hemiplegia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of a short-term electrical stimulation in conjunction with neurodevelopmental exercises on sensory and functional recovery of hemiparetic upper limb in acute stroke patients.


METHODS
Controlled clinical trial with alternate allocation.


METHODS
Acute inpatient medical care setting of a university hospital.


METHODS
Thirty-six acute stroke patients (18 TENS group; 18 control group) who experienced their first stroke were studied.


METHODS
Both groups received 1 h/day neurodevelopmental exercises in accordance with Bobath for 10 days. In addition to exercises the TENS group received electrical stimulation of the wrist and finger extensors for 1 h.


METHODS
Kinaesthesia and position sense tests, a hand function test and a hand movement scale were performed before and after treatment.


RESULTS
Both groups showed considerable improvement in kinaesthesia sense and position sense after treatment. Comparison of the two groups after treatment revealed that this difference was not significant (P> 0.05). Both groups showed improvement in hand movement scores (P< 0.05), whereas hand function improved only in the TENS group (P< 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicated that additional stimulation of the hand and fingers leads to an improved sensorimotor outcome immediately after the intervention.
Yozbatiran
Nuray
N
Dokuz Eylül University, School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Izmir, Turkey. nuray@deu.edu.tr
Donmez
Birgül
B
Kayak
Nuray
N
Bozan
Ozgür
O
D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers; D006225:Hand; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011434:Proprioception; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; D014953:Wrist