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(Stroke. 2005;36:2665.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Facilitation of Sensory and Motor Recovery by Thermal Intervention for the Hemiplegic Upper Limb in Acute Stroke Patients

A Single-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

From the Institute of Neuroscience (J.C.C., F.Z.S.), Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tzu Chi Buddhist General Hospital (J.C.C., C.C.L.), Hualien, Taiwan; Department of Biological Science and Technology (F.Z.S.), National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Correspondence to Fu-Zen Shaw, PhD, Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, 75 Po-Ai St, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan. E-mail fzshaw{at}yahoo.com.tw

Background and Purpose— Thermal stimulation (TS) is commonly used in orthopedic rehabilitation, but the role of TS in the facilitation of sensorimotor recovery in hemiplegic patients remains unknown. This study addressed the issue of TS intervention in the facilitation of functional outcomes.

Methods— Forty-six stroke survivors were randomly assigned to standard rehabilitation treatment and standard treatment plus TS (30 minutes daily for 6 weeks). Twenty-nine patients completed the experiment. Six measures, including Brunnstrom stage, modified motor assessment scale, grasping strength, angles of wrist extension and flexion, sensation by monofilament, and muscle tone by modified Ashworth scale, were performed weekly to evaluate sensory and motor functional outcomes.

Results— The performance of Brunnstrom stage and wrist extension and sensation were improved significantly after TS intervention. Recovery rates of 6 measures after TS were significantly higher than those of the control, except for grasping. Similar muscle tones were found in both groups.

Conclusion— TS on the paretic hand significantly enhances the recovery of several aspects of sensory and motor functions in hemiplegic stroke patients.

Key Words: clinical trials • rehabilitation • stroke