The Effect of Implanted Functional Electrical Stimulation on Gait Performance in Stroke Survivors: A Systematic Review
Gu Eon Kang,
Rebecca Frederick,
Brandon Nunley,
Lawrence Lavery,
Yasin Dhaher,
Bijan Najafi,
Stuart Cogan
Affiliations
Gu Eon Kang
Department of Bioengineering, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
Rebecca Frederick
Department of Bioengineering, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
Brandon Nunley
Department of Bioengineering, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
Lawrence Lavery
Department of Plastic Surgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
Yasin Dhaher
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
Bijan Najafi
Interdisciplinary Consortium on Advanced Motion Performance (iCAMP), Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Stuart Cogan
Department of Bioengineering, Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA
The emerging literature suggests that implantable functional electrical stimulation may improve gait performance in stroke survivors. However, there is no review providing the possible therapeutic effects of implanted functional electrical stimulation on gait performance in stroke survivors. We performed a web-based, systematic paper search using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. We limited the search results to human subjects and papers published in peer-reviewed journals in English. We did not restrict demographic or clinical characteristics. We included 10 papers in the current systematic review. Across all included studies, we found preliminary evidence of the potential therapeutic effects of functional electrical stimulation on walking endurance, walking speed, ankle mobility, and push-off force in stroke survivors. However, due to the heterogeneity between the included studies, small sample size, and lack of randomized controlled trials, more studies are critically needed to confirm whether implanted functional electrical stimulation can improve gait performance in stroke survivors.
