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Assessment of Neuromuscular Function Using Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Published on: September 13, 2015
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Protocols Targeting Afferent Pathways via Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for the Plantar Flexors: A Systematic
Anastasia Papavasileiou1, Anthi Xenofondos2, Stéphane Baudry3
1Laboratory of Neuromechanics, School of Physical Education and Sports Science at Serres, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 62110 Serres, Greece.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 28, 2023
Summary
This review analyzed neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) protocols for plantar flexors. Tibial nerve stimulation offers wider frequency ranges than triceps surae stimulation, suggesting potential for optimized rehabilitation protocols.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is increasingly used in rehabilitation.
- Understanding NMES protocol characteristics is crucial for optimizing its effectiveness.
- Stimulating afferent pathways via plantar flexor muscles is a key application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and document the protocol characteristics of NMES studies on plantar flexors.
- To compare protocols using triceps surae (TS) versus tibial nerve (TN) stimulation.
- To identify areas for improvement in future NMES research.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
- Searched four databases (Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) and manual citations.
- Analyzed 87 NMES protocols from 32 eligible studies on healthy adults.
Main Results:
- Tibial nerve (TN) stimulation protocols reported a wider frequency range (5-100 Hz) compared to triceps surae (TS) stimulation (20-200 Hz).
- Pulse duration ranged from 0.2 to 1 ms for both TS and TN.
- Variability in normalization methods for contraction intensity was observed.
Conclusions:
- Future NMES studies should explore a broader range of stimulation parameters to optimize afferent pathway stimulation.
- Further research is needed to explore novel protocols for enhanced effectiveness.
- Methodological considerations like stimulation efficacy and reporting discomfort are vital for reducing result variability.
