Functional electrical stimulation (FES) and neuronal plasticity: a historical review

Abstract

Neurophysiological imaging studies have revealed changes in the pattern of cortical structures and clinical functionality during recovery after brain lesion, thus suggesting a correlation between clinical functional improvements and the plastic changes of the neuronal tissue. However, the interpretation of these results remains equivocal. Importantly, therapeutic neuronal stimulation leading to neurorehabilitation gains and is able to trigger endogenous nervous system changes that may interact with normal learning. In this way, stimulation of the endogenous CNS neuroplasticity as an anatomical substrate for neuronal functional recovery has emerged as a promising area in the search for understanding the mechanisms that regulate functional recovery after brain lesion. Objective: This study aims to review historical literature to score major milestones in the study of peripheral electrical stimulation and their possible effects on the CNS, particularly in relation to functional electrical stimulation. Method: This review was drawn from an examination of the historical literature articles researched at MedLine®, the National Library of Medicine’s database. We selected 169 studies based on historical relevance, importance, and accuracy. Results: FES has the ability to interact with the CNS. The extent to which compensatory plasticity occurs after stroke after FES use and the extent to which that contributes to functional recovery are as yet unclear. Nevertheless, further investigations are warranted for evaluating the effect of FES on cortical structural modifications.