Effects of Combined Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Robot and Trans-Spinal Electrical Stimulation in Poststroke Rehabilitation

Prior treatment

• involved in drug studies, other clinical trials, or concurrent medication/occupational/physical treatments on the upper limb;

Other illness

• Patients with secondary stroke;
• Any additional medical or psychological condition affecting their ability to comply with the study protocol;
• History of other neurological disease, psychiatric disorder, including alcoholism and substance abuse;
• epilepsy;
• skin disease at the area of the electrodes;
• High hypertension and cannot maintain normal blood pressure despite daily intake of antihypertensive medication.

Other

• Severe dysphasia (either expressive or comprehensive) with inadequate communication;
• currently pregnant;
• pacemaker implantation or deep brain stimulation;

• Subjects in the chronic stage (start from 6 months after the onset of stroke) with a pure unilateral motor paresis after a stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic);
• Sufficient cognition to follow simple instructions as well as understand the content and purpose of the experiment (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score\>23);
• Be able to sit up for 60 minutes (with or without assistance);
• Muscle strength graded from 1 to 3 in biceps brachii, triceps brachii, extensor carpi radialis, flexor carpi radialis, and abductor pollicis brevis in the affected side.
• The voluntary electromyographic signals of the wrist extensor and wrist flexor muscle groups can be detected.