TY - JOUR
T1 - Bilateral Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Improves Upper Limb Motor Recovery in Stroke
T2 - A Randomized Controlled Trial
AU - Chen, Peiming
AU - Liu, Tai Wa
AU - Kwong, Patrick W.H.
AU - Lai, Claudia K.Y.
AU - Chung, Raymond C.K.
AU - Tsoh, Joshua
AU - Ng, Shamay S.M.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study is supported by the Health and Medical Research Fund (12131821) awarded to Dr Shamay S.M. Ng and her team from the Food and Health Bureau, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Heart Association, Inc.
PY - 2022/4/1
Y1 - 2022/4/1
N2 - Background: Recent evidence has shown bilateral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Bi-TENS) combined with task-oriented training (TOT) to be superior to unilateral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Uni-TENS)+TOT in improving lower limb motor functioning following stroke. However, no research explored the effect of Bi-TENS+TOT in improving upper limb motor recovery. This study aimed to compare Bi-TENS+TOT with Uni-TENS+TOT, Placebo transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Placebo-TENS)+TOT, and no treatment (Control) groups in upper limb motor recovery. Methods: This is a 4-group parallel design. One hundred and twenty subjects were given either Bi-TENS+TOT, Uni-TENS+TOT, Placebo-TENS+TOT, or Control without treatment in this randomized controlled trial. Twenty 60-minute sessions were administered 3× per week for 7 weeks. The outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity, which was assessed at baseline, after 10 sessions (mid-intervention) and 20 sessions (post-intervention) of intervention, and at 1-and 3-month follow-up. Results: Patients in the Bi-TENS+TOT group showed greater improvement in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity scores than Uni-TENS+TOT (mean difference, 2.13; P=0.004), Placebo-TENS+TOT (mean difference, 2.63; P<0.001), and Control groups (mean difference, 3.11; P<0.001) at post-intervention. Both Bi-TENS+TOT (mean difference, 3.39; P<0.001) and Uni-TENS+TOT (mean difference, 1.26; P=0.018) showed significant within-group improvement in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity scores. Patients in the Bi-TENS+TOT group showed earlier within-group improvement in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity scores at mid-intervention than Uni-TENS+TOT. These improvements were maintained at the 3-month follow-up assessment. Conclusions: Bi-TENS combined with TOT is an effective therapy for improving upper limb motor recovery following stroke.
AB - Background: Recent evidence has shown bilateral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Bi-TENS) combined with task-oriented training (TOT) to be superior to unilateral transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Uni-TENS)+TOT in improving lower limb motor functioning following stroke. However, no research explored the effect of Bi-TENS+TOT in improving upper limb motor recovery. This study aimed to compare Bi-TENS+TOT with Uni-TENS+TOT, Placebo transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Placebo-TENS)+TOT, and no treatment (Control) groups in upper limb motor recovery. Methods: This is a 4-group parallel design. One hundred and twenty subjects were given either Bi-TENS+TOT, Uni-TENS+TOT, Placebo-TENS+TOT, or Control without treatment in this randomized controlled trial. Twenty 60-minute sessions were administered 3× per week for 7 weeks. The outcome measure was the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity, which was assessed at baseline, after 10 sessions (mid-intervention) and 20 sessions (post-intervention) of intervention, and at 1-and 3-month follow-up. Results: Patients in the Bi-TENS+TOT group showed greater improvement in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity scores than Uni-TENS+TOT (mean difference, 2.13; P=0.004), Placebo-TENS+TOT (mean difference, 2.63; P<0.001), and Control groups (mean difference, 3.11; P<0.001) at post-intervention. Both Bi-TENS+TOT (mean difference, 3.39; P<0.001) and Uni-TENS+TOT (mean difference, 1.26; P=0.018) showed significant within-group improvement in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity scores. Patients in the Bi-TENS+TOT group showed earlier within-group improvement in the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity scores at mid-intervention than Uni-TENS+TOT. These improvements were maintained at the 3-month follow-up assessment. Conclusions: Bi-TENS combined with TOT is an effective therapy for improving upper limb motor recovery following stroke.
KW - follow-up studies
KW - lower extremity
KW - stroke
KW - transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
KW - upper extremity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127874509&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1161/STROKEAHA.121.036895
DO - 10.1161/STROKEAHA.121.036895
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34852645
AN - SCOPUS:85127874509
SN - 0039-2499
VL - 53
SP - 1134
EP - 1140
JO - Stroke
JF - Stroke
IS - 4
ER -