American doctors have improved the dexterity of the patient's hand, whose limb was previously paralyzed. The study was published in Stroke magazine and briefly reported by EurekAlert!
Doctors have improved the standard electrical therapy procedure, carried out with the help of a myostimulator - electrodes applied to muscles and forcing them to contract under the influence of an electric current.
To this end, the doctors allowed the patient to participate in the stimulation process by putting on a glove with sensors on his healthy hand, allowing the device to be controlled on the paralyzed limb.
Scientists have used the new method in the treatment of 80 patients who survived a stroke six months or more. For 12 weeks, 40 people received an extra glove, while the rest received standard therapy. Electrical stimulation was used by two teams of scientists for 10 hours at home and three hours in the presence of a doctor in the laboratory.
Hand mobility was measured before and after therapy. The new therapy has shown significantly better results than the standard one. Overall, arm mobility with the new method improved in 97 percent of patients.
Often, a stroke leads to the development of paralysis of the limbs. Standard patient therapy to improve arm and leg mobility involves electrical stimulation of the affected limb only. The intensity, time and frequency of such exposure is established by the doctor.