The effect of Functional Electric Stimulation in stroke patients' motor control – a case report

Abstract

Functional Electric Stimulation (FES) has been studied as a therapeutic resource to reduce spasticity in hemiplegic patients, however there are no studies about the effects of FES in motor control of these patients during functional tasks like balance maintenance. Muscular activation of gastrocnemius medialis and semitendinosus was investigated in both limbs of a hemiparetic patient during self-disturbed quiet stance before and after FES on tibialis anterior, by surface electromyography. The instant of maximum activation peak of GM and ST were calculated immediately after a motor self-disturbance, in order to observe muscular synergy between these two muscles, and possible balance strategies used (ankle or hip strategy). At the preserved limb there occurred distal-proximal synergy (GM followed by ST), expected for small perturbations; however, at spastic limb there was inversion of this synergy (proximal-distal) after FES. It is possible that intervention of electricity had inhibited synergical pathways due to antidromic effect, making it difficult to use ankle strategy in the spastic limb.