A pilot study to measure upper extremity H-reflexes following neuromuscular electrical stimulation therapy after stroke. Neurosci Lett 2013 Feb 22;535:1-6
Date
01/15/2013Pubmed ID
23313593Pubmed Central ID
PMC3592334DOI
10.1016/j.neulet.2012.11.063Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84873267027 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 8 CitationsAbstract
Upper extremity (UE) hemiparesis persists after stroke, limiting hand function. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is an effective intervention to improve UE recovery, although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Our objective was to establish a reliable protocol to measure UE agonist-antagonist forearm monosynaptic reflexes in a pilot study to determine if NMES improves wrist function after stroke. We established the between-day reliability of the H-reflex in the extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL) and flexor carpi radialis (FCR) musculature for individuals with prior stroke (n=18). The same-day generation of ECRL/FCR H-reflex recruitment curves was well tolerated, regardless of age or UE spasticity. The between-day reliability of the ECRL H-reflex was enhanced above FCR, similar to healthy subjects [20], with the Hmax the most reliable parameter quantified in both muscles. H-reflex and functional measures following NMES show the potential for NMES-induced increases in ECRL Hmax, but confirmation requires a larger clinical study. Our initial results support the safe, easy, and efficacious use of in-home NMES, and establish a potential method to measure UE monosynaptic reflexes after stroke.
Author List
Stowe AM, Hughes-Zahner L, Barnes VK, Herbelin LL, Schindler-Ivens SM, Quaney BMAuthor
Sheila Schindler-Ivens PhD Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy department at Marquette UniversityMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdultAged
Aged, 80 and over
Clinical Protocols
Female
Forearm
H-Reflex
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Paresis
Pilot Projects
Stroke
Stroke Rehabilitation
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
