The sensory-motor rehabilitation of tetraplegics via neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Abstract

The objective of this research was to evaluate the independence to perform activities of daily living and neurological improvements due to a period of six months of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES). Eight tetraplegics participated in this study. The evaluations were accomplished with the ASIA and FIM Protocols. The treatment consisted in lower and upper limbs stimulation (prehension restauration). The results of this research was analised by case reports due the intersubject variability. The tetraplegics were able to perform all activities, wich without NMES was impossible to do. The sensory-motor recovery was higher in the upper limbs compared with lower limbs. The most patients showed neurological improvements and also in the index of functional independence due to the therapeutic effects of NMES.