Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Welfare, Dongshin University, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Kyung-Yoon Kim, P.T., Ph.D., Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Welfare, Dongshin University, 185 Gunjaero, Naju, Jeonnam 520-714, Republic of Korea. Tel.: +82 61 330 3395; Fax: +82 61 330 3394; E-mail: redbead7@daum.net.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Stimulation through afferent sensory input is necessary to improve voluntary functional movement in stroke patients. OBJECTIVES: Dual-afferent sensory input, which combines electromyography-triggered functional electric stimulation (ETFES) and action observation, was investigated to determine its effects on voluntary movements in stroke patients. METHODS: This study was conducted on 18 patients with left hemiplegia diagnosed between 6 and 24 months prior. The 9 subjects in the dual-afferent sensory input (DASI) group underwent ETFES with action observation training for 4 weeks (20 min/d, 5 d/wk), while the 9 control group subjects underwent functional electric stimulation (FES) for the same duration. The outcome measures were the movement-related cortical potential (MRCP), H-reflex, electromyography (EMG), and balance. RESULTS: The control and DASI groups showed significant increases in MRCP, muscle activity, and balance, while H-reflex was significantly decreased. MRCP and balance showed significant differences between DASI and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: DASI stimulates voluntary movement in patients, causes rapid activation of the cerebral cortex, and reduces excessive excitation of spinal motor neurons. Therefore, DASI, which stimulates voluntary movement, has a greater effect on brain activation in stroke patients.
