Effect of functional electrical stimulation on hand function in hemiplegic cerebral palsy

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of functional electrical stimulation on hand functions in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. This study included 20 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, their ages ranges from three to seven years. All children had no visual, cognitive or behavioral impairments, the children had not undergone previous surgery on their impaired upper limb. All children were divided randomly into two groups of equal number [treatment and control groups]. The treatment group was treated by functional electrical stimulation in addition to the usual physiotherapy, while the control group was treated by the usual physiotherapy program, only. The treatment program for both groups extends up to 12 weeks. All children of both groups were assessed before and after treatment, their assessment included hand function through Jebson test and active wrist extension. The results showed that significant improvement in hand function was recorded in the treatment group manifested by significant decrease in time taken to complete the components of the hand function test and significant increase in active range of motion in wrist joint. In conclusion, the present study revealed that functional electrical stimulation is effective in improvement of hand function in hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which may partially result from the increased movement and strength around the wrist joint of the impaired limb