Contralateral controlled functional electrical stimulation improves the recovery of upper limb motor function after a stroke / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the effect of contralateral controlled functional electrical stimulation (CCFES) on the recovery of upper limb motor function after a stroke.Methods:Stroke survivors 1 to 6 months after onset were randomly divided into a CCFES group (14 cases, group A), a CCFES intensive group (14 cases, group B) and a neuromuscular electrical stimulation group (15 cases , group C). In addition to routine rehabilitation training, groups A and B received contralateral controlled functional electrical stimulation, while Group C received routine neuromuscular electrical stimulation. Group B was treated twice daily, while the other two groups were given 1 session each day, 5 times a week for 3 weeks. Each session lasted 20 minutes. The Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), surface electromyography and the active range of motion for wrist dorsiflexion were used to evaluate the subjects′ upper limb function before and after the treatment.Results:There was no significant difference in any of the measurements among the three groups before the treatment. After the treatment, all of them had improved significantly, with the improvements in groups A and B significantly greater than in group C, on average.Conclusions:Both normal and intensive contralateral controlled functional electrical stimulation have significant advantages over neuromuscular electrical stimulation in promoting functional recovery of the upper limbs. Intensive CCFES training is superior to routine training in improving muscle strength and range of motion.