Article

Research to examine the immediate effects of electrical stimulation
combined with passive locomotion-like movement on gait velocity and spasticity.
DESIGN: A single-masked, randomized controlled trial design. SUBJECTS:
Twenty-seven stroke inpatients in subacute phase (ischemic n = 16, hemorrhagic n
= 11). INTERVENTIONS: A novel approach using electrical stimulation combined with
passive locomotion-like movement. MAIN MEASURES:
We assessed the maximum gait
speed and modified Ashworth scale before and 20 minutes after the interventions.
RESULTS: The gait velocity of the electrical stimulation combined with passive
locomotion-like movement group showed the increase form 0.68 +/- 0.28 (mean +/-
SD, unit: m) to 0.76 +/- 0.32 after the intervention. Both the electrical
stimulation group and passive locomotion-like movement group also showed
increases after the interventions (from 0.76 +/- 0.37 to 0.79 +/- 0.40, from 0.74
+/- 0.35 to 0.77 +/- 0.36, respectively). The gait velocity of the electrical
stimulation combined with passive locomotion-like movement group differed
significantly from those of the other groups (electrical stimulation combined
with passive locomotion-like movement versus electrical stimulation: P = 0.049,
electrical stimulation combined with passive locomotion-like movement versus
passive locomotion-like movement: P = 0.025). Although there was no statistically
significant difference in the modified Ashworth scale among the three groups, six
of the nine subjects (66.6%) in the electrical stimulation combined with passive
locomotion-like movement group showed improvement in the modified Ashworth scale
score, while only three of the nine subjects (33.3%) in the electrical
stimulation group and two of the nine subjects (22.2%) improved in the passive
locomotion-like movement group. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest electrical
stimulation combined with passive locomotion-like movement could improve gait
velocity in stroke patients.

Langue : ANGLAIS