Increase in hand muscle strength of stroke patients after somatosensory stimulation

It has been proposed that somatosensory input in the form of peripheral nerve stimulation can influence functional measures of motor performance. We studied the effects of median nerve stimulation on pinch muscle strength (a function mediated predominantly by median nerve innervated muscles) in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of neurology 2002-01, Vol.51 (1), p.122-125
Main Authors: Conforto, Adriana B., Kaelin‐Lang, Alain, Cohen, Leonardo G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Cross-Over Studies
Electric Stimulation Therapy
Female
Hand Strength
Humans
Male
Median Nerve - cytology
Median Nerve - physiology
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Muscle, Skeletal - physiology
Neurology
Neurons, Afferent - physiology
Stroke - physiopathology
Stroke - therapy
Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system
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Summary:It has been proposed that somatosensory input in the form of peripheral nerve stimulation can influence functional measures of motor performance. We studied the effects of median nerve stimulation on pinch muscle strength (a function mediated predominantly by median nerve innervated muscles) in the affected hand of chronic stroke patients. A 2‐hour period of median nerve stimulation elicited an increase in pinch strength that outlasted the stimulation period. The improvement in muscle strength correlated with stimulus intensity and was identified in the absence of motor training. These results suggest that somatosensory stimulation may be a promising adjuvant to rehabilitation of the motor deficits in stroke patients.
ISSN:0364-5134
1531-8249
DOI:10.1002/ana.10070