Deans' stroke musings: Mental Practice–Triggered Electrical Stimulation in Chronic, Moderate, Upper-Extremity Hemiparesis After Stroke

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Mental Practice–Triggered Electrical Stimulation in Chronic, Moderate, Upper-Extremity Hemiparesis After Stroke

One of the authors I assume is our beloved Peter Levine in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
http://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2087160

Stephen J. Page; Peter Levine; Valerie Hill

Author Affiliations

American Journal of Occupational Therapy, December 2014, Vol. 69, 6901290050p1-6901290050p8. doi:10.5014/ajot.2015.014902

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. To determine the feasibility and impact of home-based, mental practice–triggered electrical stimulation among stroke survivors exhibiting moderate upper-extremity (UE) impairment.

METHOD. Five participants with moderate, stable UE hemiparesis were administered the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the Box and Block Test, and the Activities of Daily Living, Hand Function, and overall recovery domains of the Stroke Impact Scale (Version 3). They were then administered an 8-wk regimen consisting of 1 hr of mental practice–triggered electrical stimulation every weekday in their home. At the end of every 2 wk, participants attended supervised stimulation to progress therapeutic exercises and stimulation levels and monitor compliance.

RESULTS. Six instances of device noncompliance were reported. Participants exhibited reduced UE motor impairment and increased UE dexterity and participation in valued activities.

CONCLUSION. The regimen appears feasible and had a substantial impact on UE impairment, dexterity, and participation in valued activities as well as perceptions of recovery.