Electrical Muscle Stimulation with Russian Current in Chronic Cerebral Ischaemia

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Chronic cerebral ischaemia often leads to impaired mobility and balance in elderly individuals.
• Inpatient rehabilitation aims to improve functional outcomes in this population.
• Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) is a potential therapeutic modality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of inpatient electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) using Russian current for improving mobility and balance.
• To assess the impact of EMS on gait, balance, and muscle strength in elderly patients with chronic cerebral ischaemia.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, single-centre, controlled observational pilot study.
• Three groups: EMS + standard care, sham EMS + standard care, and standard care only (control).
• Intervention involved 3-9 sessions over 2 weeks of EMS to quadriceps and calves; outcomes measured pre/post using Tinetti, Rivermead Mobility Index, Timed Up and Go (TUG), maximal voluntary force (MVF), and stabilography.

Main Results:

• EMS group demonstrated significant improvements compared to control/sham groups.
• Key improvements included higher Tinetti and Rivermead scores, faster TUG, and increased MVF.
• Stabilography showed enhanced balance, particularly in the eyes-closed condition, with reduced sway parameters (L, V, S).

Conclusions:

• Short-course Russian-current EMS is feasible and well-tolerated in elderly patients with chronic cerebral ischaemia.
• EMS is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in balance, gait, and strength.
• Larger, randomized controlled trials are recommended to further validate these findings.