Article

This study aimed to determine the immediate effects of somatosensory stimulation
on hand function in patients with poststroke hemiparesis. Eleven patients with
poststroke hemiparesis participated in this study. Four types (no stimulation,
vibration, and light and rough touches) of somatosensory stimulation were
performed randomly for 4 days applying only one type of somatosensory stimulation
each day. The box and block test (BBT), the Jebsen-Taylor hand function test
(JTHFT), hand grip strength (HGS), and movement distance and peak velocity of the
wrist joint during a forward-reaching task were measured. The BBT and JTHFT
scores for no stimulation [BBT: median (interquartile range), 0.00 (-1.00 to
1.00) and JTHFT: 2.57 (-0.47 to 4.92)] were significantly different from those
for vibration [BBT: 3.00 (2.00-5.00) and JTHFT: -16.02 (-23.06 to -4.31)], light
touch [BBT: 3.00 (1.00-4.00) and JTHFT: -5.00 (-21.20 to -0.94)], and rough touch
[BBT: 2.00 (1.00-4.00) and JTHFT: -6.19 (-18.22 to -3.70)]. The JTHFT score was
significantly higher for vibration than that for rough touch (P<0.05). The
increase in HGS was significantly greater for light touch than that for no
stimulation (P<0.05) and for vibration than that for light touch (P<0.05). There
were significant differences for the sagittal and coronal planes in movement
distance and for the sagittal and horizontal planes in peak velocity during the
forward-reaching task (P<0.05). The findings suggest that somatosensory
stimulation may be advantageous to improve the hand function of patients with
poststroke hemiparesis, with more favorable effects observed in vibration
stimulation.

Langue : ANGLAIS