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 - 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 - Article
C2 - 34852645
AN - SCOPUS:85127874509
SN - 0039-2499
VL - 53
SP - 1134
EP - 1140
JO - Stroke
JF - Stroke
IS - 4
ER -