Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Assessment of Neuromuscular Function Using Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Published on: September 13, 2015
Neuroprosthetic effect of peroneal nerve stimulation in multiple sclerosis: a preliminary study
Lynne R Sheffler1, Maureen T Hennessey, Jayme S Knutson
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA. lsheffler@metrohealth.org
Objective:
To determine the neuroprosthetic effect of a peroneal nerve stimulator on tasks of functional ambulation in multiple sclerosis (MS).
Design:
A single point-in-time assessment of functional ambulation tasks under the conditions of no device and peroneal nerve stimulator.
Setting:
Outpatient academic medical center.
Participants:
Participants (N=11) with diagnosis of MS (>6mo), dorsiflexion weakness, and prior usage of an ankle-foot orthosis.
Intervention:
Surface peroneal nerve stimulator for ambulation.
Main Outcome Measures:
Timed 25-foot Walk portion of the MS Functional Composite; Floor, Carpet, Up and Go, Obstacle, and Stair components of the Modified Emory Functional Ambulation Profile.
Results:
Peroneal nerve stimulator-Stair performance was significantly enhanced (P=.05) versus no device, and statistical significance was approached for peroneal nerve stimulator-Obstacles (P=.09) versus no device. There were no significant differences between peroneal nerve stimulator and no device conditions in the remaining outcome measures.
Conclusions:
The neuroprosthetic effect of the peroneal nerve stimulator is modest relative to no device in the performance of specific functional tasks of ambulation in MS gait. A longitudinal, controlled trial is needed to show effectiveness.
