Functional electrical stimulation based on a normal walking pattern for improving lower extremity function early after cerebral infarction

Abstract

Objective To observe the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) based on a normal walking pattern on the lower extremity function of subjects early after cerebral infarction.Methods Twenty patients with cerebral infarction aged (59.7 ± 10.1) years (range 45-80) who were hospitalized and within 3 months (31.1 ± 19.3 days) after the onset were randomly assigned to an FES group (n =11) or a placebo stimulation group (n =9).All subjects in both groups received standard medical and rehabilitation treatment.In addition,the FES group received FES and the placebo group received sham-FES without current output.The daily stimulation and shamstimulation sessions lasted for 30 min,5 d/week for 3 weeks.All of the subjects in the two groups were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA),postural assessment for stroke patients (PASS),the Berg balance scale (BBS),functional ambulation categories (FACs) and the modified Barthel index (MBI).Results After 3 weeks of treatment,FMA,PASS,BBS and MBI scores had all improved significantly compared with before treatment in both groups,but the FES group showed significantly better improvement.After treatment the average FAC results of both groups had improved,and there was no significant difference between the two groups.At the same time,the research revealed the expected significant correlations among the FMA,PASS,BBS and MBI results.Conclusion FES based on a normal walking pattern can improve lower extremity motor function early after cerebral infarction,improve balance,and improve ability in the activities of daily living. Key words: Functional electrical stimulation; Cerebral infarction; Lower extremities