Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Anabolic Signaling in Patients with Stroke

Stroke results in limited ability to produce voluntary muscle contraction and movement on one side of the body, leading to further muscle wasting and weakness. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is often used to facilitate involuntary muscle contraction; however, the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle growth and strengthening processes in hemiparetic muscle is not clear. This study examined the skeletal muscle anabolic response of an acute bout of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in individuals with chronic stroke and healthy older adults.

Eleven individuals (59.8 ± 2.7 years old) were divided into a chronic stroke group (n = 5) and a healthy older adult control group (n = 6). Muscle biopsies were obtained before and after stimulation from the vastus lateralis of the hemiparetic leg for the stroke group and the right leg for the control group. The neuromuscular electrical stimulation protocol consisted of a 60-minute, intermittent stimulation train at 60 Hz. Phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin and ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 were analyzed by Western blot.

An acute bout of neuromuscular electrical stimulation increased phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (stroke: 56.0%; control: 51.4%; P = .002) and ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta-1 (stroke: 131.2%; control: 156.3%; P = .002) from resting levels to post-neuromuscular electrical stimulation treatment, respectively. Phosphorylated protein content was similar between stroke and control groups at both time points.

Findings suggest that paretic muscles of patients with chronic stroke may maintain ability to stimulate protein synthesis machinery in response to neuromuscular electrical stimulation.