Functional Electrical Stimulation–Assisted Active Cycling—Therapeutic Effects in Patients With Hemiparesis From 7 Days to 6 Months After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Abstract Objective To determine whether functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted active cycling is more effective than active cycling without FES concerning walking and balance. Specifically, walking ability was classified as to the amount of personal assistance needed to be able to walk and balance was evaluated for static and dynamic balance tasks. Design Monocentric, randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial. Setting Neurologic rehabilitation hospital. Participants Patients with severe hemiparesis due to stroke (N=40). Interventions Twenty minutes of active leg cycling with or without FES applied to the paretic vastus medialis and rectus femoris of quadriceps and to the biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles, 3 times/wk for 4 weeks. Main Outcome Measures Functional ambulation classification (FAC) and performance-oriented mobility assessment (POMA) were the primary outcome measures. The leg subscale of the motricity index (MI) and the modified Ashworth scale were the secondary outcome measures. Evaluation was done before and after the intervention period and after an additional 2 weeks. Results After the intervention, the FAC, POMA, and the MI ( P