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Updated: Feb 26, 2026
Assessment of Neuromuscular Function Using Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Published on: September 13, 2015
Test-retest reliability of wide-pulse high-frequency neuromuscular electrical stimulation evoked force
Daria Neyroud1, Sidney Grosprêtre2, Julien Gondin3
1Institute of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Introduction:
We compare forces evoked by wide-pulse high-frequency (WPHF) neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) delivered to a nerve trunk versus muscle belly and assess their test-retest intraindividual and interindividual reliability.
Methods:
Forces evoked during 2 sessions with WPHF NMES delivered over the tibial nerve trunk and 2 sessions over the triceps surae muscle belly were compared. Ten individuals participated in 4 sessions involving ten 20-s WPHF NMES contractions interspaced by 40-s recovery. Mean evoked force and force time integral of each contraction were quantified.
Results:
For both nerve trunk and muscle belly stimulation, intraindividual test-retest reliability was good (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.9), and interindividual variability was large (coefficient of variation between 140% and 180%). Nerve trunk and muscle belly stimulation resulted in similar evoked forces.
Discussion:
WPHF NMES locations might be chosen by individual preference because intraindividual reliability was relatively good for both locations. Muscle Nerve 57: E70-E77, 2018.
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