title: Functional electrical stimulation therapy for severe hemiplegia: Randomized control trial revisited.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability. Stroke survivors seldom improve their upper-limb function when their deficit is severe, despite recently developed therapies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to assess the efficacy of functional electrical stimulation therapy in improving voluntary reaching and grasping after severe hemiplegia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A post hoc analysis of a previously completed randomized control trial ( clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT00221078) was carried out involving 21 participants with severe upper-limb hemiplegia (i.e., Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity [FMA-UE] ≤ 15) resulting from stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Functional Independence Measure Self-Care subscores increased 22.8 (±6.7) points in the intervention group and 9 (±6.5) in the control group, following 40 hr of equal-intensity therapy. FMA-UE score changes were 27.2 (±13.5) and 5.3 (±11.0) for the intervention and control groups, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results may represent the largest upper-limb function improvements in any stroke population to date, especially in those with severe upper-limb deficit.
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marquez-Chin
authors.forename: Shaghayegh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bagher
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zivanovic
authors.forename: Milos R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Popovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Accident vasculaire cérébral; Activities of daily living; Activités de la vie quotidienne; Membre supérieur; Recovery of function; Rehabilitation; Réadaptation; Rétablissement des capacités fonctionnelles; Stroke; Upper limb