Shohei Murata, MD, Yasuharu Koike, PhD, Yuji Kasukawa, MD, PhD, Kimio Saito, MD, PhD, Koki Okada, M.Eng, Daisuke Kudo, MD, PhD,
Yoichi Shimada, MD, PhD, Naohisa Miyakoshi, MD, PhD
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 13: 26-30, 2022
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate
the immediate effects of contralaterally controlled
functional electrical stimulation (CCFES) on upper
limb function in stroke patients.
Methods: CCFES and mirror therapy (MT) exercises
were conducted for 13 stroke patients at least 4 weeks
post-onset. A sufficient interval of at least 24 hours
was left between the two types of rehabilitation
exercises. Before treatment and immediately after
each training session, grip strength, Fugl-Meyer
Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) score
and FMA-UE subscores for the shoulder/elbow/
forearm, wrist, hand, and coordination were evaluated.
Results: Grip strength, FMA-UE and FMA-UE
shoulder/elbow/forearm, wrist, and coordination did
not differ significantly after CCFES and MT compared
to before therapy. FMA-UE hand did not change
significantly after MT compared to before therapy, but
it improved significantly after CCFES (p = 0.013).
Conclusion: CCFES for the upper extremities
immediately improves hand function and may be
effective in maintaining and improving patients'
motivation for rehabilitation treatment.
Key words: stroke, functional electrical stimulation, contralateral control, immediate effect, hand function