| Methods |
Design: A randomised crossover trial (in this review we only extracted data from baseline to crossover point). Randomisation: 'randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group'
Dropouts: None reported. |
| Participants |
11 participants, 6 female and 10 right hemisphere stroke. Mean age 61.64 (SD 9.57) years. Mean time after stroke 3.49 (SD 2.56) years.
Study criteria: (1) no more than 75% motor recovery; (2) able to voluntarily extend the wrist 20 degrees against gravity from a 90 degrees flexion position; (3) no other neurological deficits. |
| Interventions |
Duration: 2 weeks.
Experimental:
Category = 5.
Participants instructed to initiate wrist/finger extension so that a target level of voluntary EMG activity triggered the neuromuscular stimulation to assist the muscles to reach a full range of motion. Experimental participants also received therapy received by control participants but not the voluntary practice of lifting the wrist as this was part of the electrostimulation sessions.
Control:
General passive range of motion activity with hemiparetic arm. Short period of gentle stretching to the wrist and finger flexors. Participants tried to voluntarily lift their wrist for 2 sessions of 30 trials.
Comparison: electrostimulation vs no treatment. |
| Outcomes |
Outcome measurement: After 2 weeks intervention.
Included outcomes: (1) Box and Blocks Test; (2) sustained muscle contraction.
Other outcomes: Unavailable from published paper or from author after a direct response, (1) Fugl‐Meyer Assessment; (2) premotor reaction time; (3) motor reaction time; (4) total reaction time. |
| Notes |
|
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment? |
Unclear risk |
B ‐ Unclear |
