title: EMG of the tibialis anterior demonstrates a training effect after utilization of a foot drop stimulator.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) applied through a foot drop stimulator (FDS) is a rehabilitation intervention that can stimulate the common peroneal nerve to provide dorsiflexion at the correct timing during gait.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if FES applied to the peroneal nerve during walking through a FDS would effectively retrain the electromyographic temporal activation of the tibialis anterior in individuals with stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surface electromyography (EMG) were collected bilaterally from the tibialis anterior (TA) while participants (n = 4) walked with and without the FDS at baseline and 4 weeks. Comparisons were made between stimulation timing and EMG activation timing to produce a burst duration similarity index (BDSI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, participants displayed variable temporal activation of the TA. At 4 weeks, TA activation during walking without the FDS more closely resembled the pre-programmed FDS timing demonstrated by an increase in BDSI scores in all participants (P = 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continuous use of FDS during a task specific movement can re-train the neuromuscular system. After 4 weeks of utilization the FDS trained the TA to replicate the programmed temporal activation patterns. These findings begin to establish the FDS as a rehabilitation intervention that may facilitate recovery rather than just compensate for stroke related gait impairments due to foot drop.
authors.affiliation: Human Performance and Engineering Laboratory, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, USA Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pilkar
authors.affiliation: Human Performance and Engineering Laboratory, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, USA Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Mathew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yarossi
authors.affiliation: Human Performance and Engineering Laboratory, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, USA Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers University, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Nolan
mesh_terms: D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005528:Foot / Q000503:physiopathology; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010543:Peroneal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: EMG; Stroke; foot drop; functional electrical stimulation; hemiplegic gait; rehabilitation