Date Presented 04/05/19
Mental imagery training combined with EMG-NMES (MIT EMG-NMES) and EMG-NMES are beneficial to improving upper-limb motor function and activities of daily living in patients with chronic stroke. These findings indicate that the choice of the intervention depends on the patient’s condition. In case of MIT EMG-NMES, patients should be able to imagine the movement of the affected body, especially through performance memory, and have a certain level of cognitive function.
Primary Author and Speaker: Jin-Hyuck Park
PURPOSE: Previous studies have suggested that electromyogram-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation is beneficial in enhancing the upper limb function of patients with stroke. However, mental imagery training combined with electromyogram-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation investigation has received a little attention. This study investigated effects of mental imagery training combined with electromyogram-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation on upper limb function and activities of daily living of patients with chronic stroke.
METHOD: Sixty-eight participants were randomly allocated to mental imagery training combined with electromyogram-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation group or the electromyogram-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation group. Both groups performed each intervention for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 6 weeks. The Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), and Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI) were used for outcome measures.
RESULTS: After the intervention, both groups showed significant improvements in the ARAT (MIT EMG-NMES group: 5.77 ± 2.02, EMG-NMES group: 5.88 ± 1.57, p<0.05), FMA (MIT EMG-NMES group: 5.94 ± 2.01, EMG-NMES group: 6.27 ± 1.78, p>0.05), and K-MBI (MIT EMG-NMES group: 1.77 ± 1.37, EMG-NMES group: 1.38 ± 1.07, p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the ARAT (η2=0.001, F=0.72, p<0.05), FMA (η2=0.007, F=0.492, p>0.05), and K-MBI (η2=0.024, F=1.638; p>0.05) between both groups.
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that both mental imagery training combined with electromyogram-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation and electromyogram-triggered neuromuscular electrical stimulation are beneficial to improve the upper limb function and activities of daily living of patients with chronic stroke.
References
Kawashima, N., Popovic, M. R., Zivanovic, V. (2013). Effect of intensive functional electrical stimulation therapy on upper-limb motor recovery after stroke: Case study of a patient with chronic stroke. Physiotherapy Cancer, 65, 20-28.
Hong, I. K., Choi, J. B., Lee, J. H. (2012). Cortical changes after mental imagery training combined with electromyographytriggered electrical stimulation in patients with chronic stroke. Stroke, 43, 2506-2509.
