title: Longer versus shorter daily durations of electrical stimulation during task-specific practice in moderately impaired stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine and compare efficacy of 30-, 60-, and 120-minute repetitive task-specific practice (RTP) sessions incorporating use of an electrical stimulation neuroprosthesis (ESN) on affected upper-extremity (UE) movement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient rehabilitation hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chronic stroke subjects (N=32) exhibiting moderate, stable affected UE motor deficits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects participated in 30-, 60-, or 120-minute therapy sessions involving RTP incorporating the ESN, occurring every weekday for 8 weeks. During sessions, they wore the ESNs to enable performance of valued activities that they had identified. A fourth group participated in a 30-minute per weekday home exercise program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outcomes were evaluated using the UE section of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Sensorimotor Impairment (FM), the Arm Motor Ability Test (AMAT), the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), and Box and Block (B&B) 1 week before and 1 week after intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After intervention, subjects in the 120-minute condition were the only ones to exhibit significant score increases on the FM (P=.0007), AMAT functional ability scale (P=.002), AMAT quality of movement scale (P=.0002), and ARAT (P=.02). They also exhibited the largest changes in time to perform AMAT tasks and in B&B score, but these changes were nonsignificant, (P=.15 and P=.10, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One hundred and twenty minutes a day of RTP augmented by ESN use elicits the largest and most consistent UE motor changes in moderately impaired stroke subjects.
authors.affiliation: School of Allied Medical Professions, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. page.61@osu.edu
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dunning
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D013997:Time Factors; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*