title: Short-TERM Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Training of the Tibialis Anterior Did Not Improve Strength and Motor Function in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on motor function, muscle strength, and endurance of short-term neuromuscular electrical stimulation training of the tibialis anterior muscles in patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 1 (FSHD1) in comparison with healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 10 patients with FSHD1 and 10 healthy participants. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction of ankle dorsiflexion and a 2-min sustained dorsiflexion maximal voluntary contraction with surface electromyography recordings of the tibialis anterior and the soleus muscles were measured and motor function clinical tests were performed before and after the training period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant short term training effect was found in any of the investigated variables for either group, although a tendency towards an increase was noted for the manual muscle testing of the FSHD1. Patients with FSHD1 showed lower maximal voluntary contraction force and lower maximal tibialis anterior surface electromyography amplitude than healthy participants. During the 2-min sustained maximal voluntary contraction, the percentage of force loss was lower for the FSHD1 patients, suggesting that they were experiencing a lower amount of muscle fatigue compared to the healthy participant group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present neuromuscular electrical stimulation protocol was not strenuous enough and/or the parameters of stimulation were not adequate to improve dorsiflexion strength, muscle endurance, and motor function in FSHD1 patients and healthy participants.
authors.affiliation: From the Université Côte d'Azur, LAMHESS, Nice, France (A-CMD, MF-M, SSC); Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway (A-CMD, KR); Université Côte d'Azur, CHU (JG, PL, VT, MF-M, CD, SS); and Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, IRCAN (CD, SS), Nice, France.
authors.forename: Aude-Clémence M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Doix
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roeleveld
authors.forename: Jérémy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lahaut
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tanant
authors.forename: Manuella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fournier-Mehouas
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desnuelle
authors.forename: Serge S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sacconi
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D020391:Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies