| Methods |
Design: Randomised controlled trial, parallel groups.
Randomisation: Randomly assigned to treatment or control group.
Dropouts: None reported. |
| Participants |
Experimental: n = 8, 5 male and 4 right hemiparesis. Mean age 58.38 (SD 14.52) years. Mean time after stroke 28.38 (SD 18.68) months).
Control: n = 8, 6 male and 4 right hemiparesis. Mean age 62.75 (SD 13.8) years. Mean time after stroke 38.50 (SD 30.72) months.
Study criteria: (1) at least 6 months after stroke; (2) at least 10 degrees of active flexion/extension movement at the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger; (3) a score of 25 or more (of 30) on the Mini‐Mental State Examination. |
| Interventions |
Duration:
6 hours a day, for 10 days over a 3 week period.
Experimental:
Category = 5
Half of treatment was EMG threshold triggered electrostimulation producing stronger contractions than those achieved voluntarily. Half of treatment was with the machine automatically stimulating the muscle to contract without the requirement for the patient to trigger it through voluntary muscle contraction. Asymmetrical, rectangular biphasic, constant current with a pulse width 200ms, frequency 50Hz and with intensity set to produce finger and wrist extension movements. Evoked contraction lasted 5 seconds plus a 1 second ramp up and 1 second ramp down. A 15 second rest period was given between contractions.
Control: A similar device to that used with experimental participants that shows a light during the 'on' phases but which did not deliver any current. For half the treatment participants actively lifted the hand when they saw the light come on. For the other half of the treatment they did not lift the hand.
Comparison: electrostimulation vs placebo. |
| Outcomes |
Baseline measurement: pre‐intervention.
Outcome measurement: post‐intervention.
Included outcomes: (1) isometric strength of index finger extension; (2) Motor activity Log, how well; (3) Box and Block Test; (4) Jebsen Hand Function Test , page turn (seconds); (5) Jebsen Hand Function Test, small objects (seconds); (6) Jebsen Hand Function Test, feeding (seconds); (7) Jebsen Hand Function Test, stacking (seconds); (8) Jebsen Hand Function Test, light cans (seconds); (9) Jebsen Hand Function Test, heavy cans (seconds).
Other outcomes: (1) fMRI; (2) Motor Activity Log, how much; (3) finger‐movement tracking. |
| Notes |
|
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment? |
Unclear risk |
B ‐ Unclear |
