Article

Background Somatosensory stimulation may have a positive impact on recovery of
motor function by maintaining cortical representation of the hand and acting to
prime the motor system for movement. Objective Determine the efficacy of
somatosensory stimulation on upper limb motor function after stroke. Methods Five
electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro and OT Seeker) were searched
from inception to October 2016. Included studies were English-language randomized
controlled trials where a sensory intervention was applied below the elbow to
improve upper limb motor control of adults after stroke. One outcome needed to
measure arm function at an impairment or activity level. Study selection and
quality assessment (using the PEDro scale) were independently conducted by two
reviewers. Meta-analysis was completed where there was sufficient homogeneity
between trials. Results Fifteen articles were included reporting data from 14
randomized controlled trials (627 participants). There was low-quality evidence
from four trials that sensory electrical stimulation did not improve upper limb
activity compared to placebo (SMD 0.4, 95%CI -0.07 to 0.87, I(2) 38%) and
moderate-quality evidence from three trials that it did not improve motor
impairment (MD 3.45 units, 95%CI -1.47 to 8.36, I(2) 35%). Low-quality evidence
from two trials demonstrated that therapist-delivered sensory stimulation did not
improve upper limb activity (SMD 0.25, 95%CI -0.20 to 0.69, I(2) 0%) compared to
usual care. Conclusion Current low- to moderate-quality evidence suggests
somatosensory stimulation is not effective in improving upper limb motor
impairment or activity after stroke.

Langue : ANGLAIS