Author/Editor		Potisk, K
Title		Vpliv električnega draženja suralnega živca na spastičnost golenskih mišic pri bolnikih s hemiplegijo
Type		monografija
Place		Ljubljana
Publisher		Medicinska fakulteta
Publication year		1991
Volume		str. 49
Language		slo
Abstract		The effect of afferent cutaneous electrical stimulation on spasticity of the leg muscles was studied in 20 patients with chronic hemiplegia after stroke. Stimulation electrodes were placed over the course of the sural nerve of the affected limb. The standard method of cutaneous stimulation - TENS with impulse frequency of 100 Hz was applied. The acupuncture like electrical stimulation with higher impulse intensity and frequency of 4 Hz was applied in 11 patients. The leg muscles tone was measured as resistive torques during sinusoidal passive movements at the ankle joint by means of an electrohydraulic measuring brace. Four different frequencies of sinusoidal passive movements were used: 0.1, 0.5, 1 and 2 Hz. The EMG tonic stretch reflex activity of m. tibialis anterior and m. triceps surae was detected by surface electrodes and recorded simultaneously with the measured biomechanical parameters. In most patients (18) mild but statistically significant decrease of resistive torques at all frequences of passive ankle movements were recorded following 20 minutes of TENS application. The decrease of resistive torque was often but not always accompanied with the decrease of reÐex EMG activity. This effect of ES persisted up to 45 minutes after the end of stimulaton. No statistically significant changes in resistive torques and EMG activity were observed after the acupuncture like electrical stimulation. The results of the study support the hypothesis that cutaneous afferent ES may induce inhibitory effects on the abnormally enhanced stretch reflex activity in spasticity of cerebral origin.
Descriptors		HEMIPLEGIA SURAL NERVE ELECTRIC STIMULATION MUSCLE SPASTICITY ELECTROMYOGRAPHY TRANSCUTANEOUS ELECTRIC NERVE STIMULATION