Cutaneous electrical stimulation may enhance sensorimotor recovery in chronic stroke

Objective: To investigate whether cutaneous electrical stimulation has a role in the enhancement of sensorimotor function in chronic stroke. Subjects and setting: Fifty-nine patients with chronic stroke received cutaneous stimulation during their three-week-long inpatient rehabilitation. Thirty-two received active treatment in the paretic hand and eight received no-current placebo treatment in the paretic hand. Nineteen patients received active stimulation of the paretic foot. None received stimulation in both upper and lower limbs. Intervention: Cutaneous stimulation was delivered twice daily via a special glove/sock electrode. Main outcome measures: Modified Motor Assessment Scale, 10-metre walking test, paretic limb function, limb skin sensation and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) were performed before and after the treatment. Results: Modified Motor Assessment Scale (p < 0.001), 10-metre walking test (p < 0.05), paretic hand function (p < 0.01), upper limb skin sensation (p < 0.01) and SEP normality classification of paretic upper limb (p < 0.01) and paretic lower limb (p < 0.5) improved significantly in the treatment group (n = 51) after three weeks of stimulation. When active hand treatment and placebo hand treatment were compared, a significant improvement in the sensory and motor function was observed only in the actively treated group. Conclusions: Cutaneous stimulation had positive effects in the motor performance, limb sensation and the configuration of SEP of the paretic limb in chronic stroke patients.