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.