ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) combined with bilateral arm training (BAT) on upper limb motor function of hemiplegic stroke patients. MethodsFrom January, 2021 to January, 2022，105 stroke patients from Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital were randomly divided into taVNS group (n = 35), BAT group (n = 35) and combined group (n = 35). All the patients received routine rehabilitation, while taVNS group received taVNS, BAT group received BAT, and the combined group received both taVNS and BAT, for eight weeks. The root mean square (RMS) of surface electromyography in deltoid, triceps brachii and extensor carpi was measured, and the scores of Box and Block Test (BBT), and Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities (FMA-UE) were obtained before and after treatment. ResultsThe RMS of all these muscles, and the scores of BBT and FMA-UE improved in all the three groups after treatment (|t| > 6.124, P < 0.001), and they were improved the most in the combined group (F > 18.162, P < 0.001). ConclusionBoth taVNS and BAT can enhance the muscle strength on the affected upper limb, increase the hand flexibility, and improve upper limb motor function of stroke patients, while the combination of both methods is more effective.
ABSTRACT
Objective To study the effect of bilateral arm training on cortical reorganization in cerebral infarction patients using blood oxygen level-dependent functional MRI (BOLD-fMRI).Methods Fourteen cerebral infarction subjects with moderate to severe upper limb impairment participated in this randomized and single-blinded training study.Subjects in the bilateral arm training group (n =7) practiced bilateral symmetrical or opposite activities,while the control group (n =7) performed conventional,mainly unilateral,arm training.Those in both groups received fMRI scans before and after the training with passive elbow movement as the task in the imaging.Results Both groups had significant improvements in their average scores on the Fugl-Meyer upper extremity assessment and in their modified Barthel index scores after the treatment,and there were no significant differences between the two groups.Brain activation had increased in both groups after the treatment,especially in the bilateral training group.After the treatment,the first motor area (M 1),the first somatosensory area and the supplementary motor area on both sides were activated in the bilateral training group.Moreover,for patients in the bilateral training group with injuries of moderate severity,the M1 of the opposite side tended to be activated,while for those more severely injured the same side had a tendency to be activated.Conclusion Convalescing subcortical infarction patients with moderate to severe upper limb impairment benefit from bilateral arm training in terms of motor activity and performing activities in daily life.It may be related to the normalization of inhibition between the hemispheres of the bilateral cerebral cortex and the reconnection of ipsilateral corticospinal pathways.