title: High-tone external muscle stimulation in endstage renal disease: effects on quality of life in patients with peripheral neuropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High-tone external muscle stimulation (HTEMS) has been shown to ameliorate painful peripheral neuropathy of dialysis patients. We hypothesized that HTEMS could also lead to improved parameters of health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
  
  
  METHODS
  25 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients (17 men/8 women, mean age 62.2 ± 14.2 years) were enrolled for the study. For evaluation of HRQOL the short form SF-36 was used. In addition, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the pain severity score were investigated. HTEMS was applied intradialytically for 1 hour, 3 times a week. Its effect was evaluated just before the beginning and both 6 and 12 weeks after onset of this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SF-36 showed a significant effect of time for the subscales of physical role functioning and social functioning. A marginal significant positive trend could be observed for physical functioning. The pain symptom questionnaire sum scores improved significantly after 12 weeks. The HADS did not change significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data indicate that intradialytic HTEMS treatment of ESRD patients with peripheral neuropathy ameliorates various components of physical health.
authors.affiliation: KfH Kidney Center, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klassen
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Racasan
authors.forename: Mirela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gherman-Caprioara
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kürner
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bahner
authors.forename: August
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heidland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome