Modulation of Trophism and Fiber Type Expression of Dener- vated Muscle by Different Patterns of Electrical Stimulation

After fifty years of basic research on electrostimulation-induced muscle plasticity, in recent years a few studies have employed long impulse biphasic electrical stimulation as a treatment for human denervated muscle. Tissue trophism and muscle power are improved to a level sufficient to restore some functions by Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). These treatments usually start late after denervation due to clinical constrains and the past wrong believe that electrical stimulation may interfere with eventual myofiber reinnervation. Effects of denervation per se, of spontaneous or induced aneural myogenesis, and of longterm electrical stimulation starting either early or late after denervation are here described. Interrelations of these aspects are remarkable, and relevant to trophic and functional recovery from severe atrophy/dystrophy of long-term denervated muscle. If myogenesis could be modulated, we should be able to substantially abbreviate the time needed to achieve functional recovery of long term denervated human muscle by FES.