The effects of wide pulse neuromuscular electrical stimulation on elbow flexion torque in individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke

Clin Neurophysiol, 2012 · DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2012.04.024 · Published: November 1, 2012

Simple Explanation

This study investigates whether a specific type of electrical stimulation, called wide pulse-NMES (WP-NMES), can improve muscle contractions in stroke patients. WP-NMES uses wider electrical pulses and higher frequencies compared to traditional methods. The researchers hypothesized that WP-NMES would lead to larger muscle contractions in the weaker arm of stroke patients. The study found that WP-NMES did indeed generate stronger contractions in the affected arm when using wider pulses (1 ms), suggesting it could be a useful tool for stroke rehabilitation.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

10 individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Stimulation with 1 ms pulses evoked more torque in the paretic arm than the non-paretic arm.
2
When 0.1 ms pulses were used there was no difference in torque between arms.
3
Torque declined significantly during the constant frequency 100 Hz stimulation and did not change during the constant frequency 20 Hz stimulation for both arms.

Research Summary

The study investigated the effects of wide pulse-NMES (WP-NMES) on elbow flexion torque in individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke. Results showed that stimulation incorporating 1 ms pulses evoked more torque in the paretic arm than the non-paretic arm, while 0.1 ms pulses showed no difference. The findings suggest that WP-NMES may enhance the central contribution to contractions after stroke, potentially improving rehabilitation outcomes.

Practical Implications

Enhanced Rehabilitation

NMES that elicits larger contractions in the paretic limb may allow for the development of more effective stroke rehabilitation paradigms.

Functional Neural Prostheses

The findings have implications for the development of functional neural prostheses.

Central Nervous System Contribution

Larger contractions generated by WP-NMES are likely due to increased reflexive recruitment of motoneurons, resulting from increased reflex excitability on the paretic side.

Study Limitations

1
The sample size of 10 participants is relatively small, limiting the generalizability of the findings.
2
The study focused solely on elbow flexion torque, neglecting other potentially relevant motor functions.
3
The study did not directly measure reflex responses or motor unit activity during WP-NMES.

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