Article

The aim of this study was to explore the short-term effects of
neuromuscular electrical stimulation application on tibialis anterior (stimulated
muscle) and gastrocnemius (antagonist) muscles' size and architecture in children
with cerebral palsy by using ultrasound. DESIGN: This prospective, controlled
study included 28 children diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.
Participants were treated either with neuromuscular electrical stimulation
application and conventional physiotherapy (group A) or with conventional
physiotherapy alone (group B). Outcome was evaluated by clinical (gross motor
function, selective motor control, range of motion, spasticity) and
ultrasonographic (cross-sectional area, pennation angle, fascicle length of
tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles) measurements before and after
treatment in both groups. RESULTS: Cross-sectional area values of tibialis
anterior (238.7 +/- 61.5 vs. 282.0 +/- 67.1 mm) and gastrocnemius (207.9 +/- 48.0
vs. 229.5 +/- 52.4 mm) (P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively) muscles were
increased after treatment in group A. Cross-sectional area values of tibialis
anterior muscle were decreased (257.3 +/- 64.7 vs. 239.7 +/- 60.0 mm) after
treatment in group B (P < 0.001), and the rest of the measurements were found not
to have changed significantly in either group. CONCLUSIONS: These results have
shown that cross-sectional area of both the agonist and antagonist muscles
increased after 20 sessions of neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment.
Future studies with larger samples and longer follow-up are definitely awaited
for better evaluation of neuromuscular electrical stimulation application on
muscle architecture and its possible correlates in clinical/functional outcome.

Langue : ANGLAIS