Functional electrical stimulation for unilateral spatial neglect after stroke: A retrospective cohort study

ObjectiveFunctional electrical stimulation is a well-established rehabilitation therapy for post-stroke motor dysfunction; however, its clinical value in treating post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect remains unclear.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 58 patients with post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect who received either conventional rehabilitation therapy alone (n = 28) or a combination of functional electrical stimulation and conventional rehabilitation (n = 30). Treatment outcomes were assessed using the Catherine Bergego Scale, the Behavioral Inattention Test, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity, and the Modified Barthel Index.ResultsNo significant differences were detected in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Following treatment, both groups demonstrated significant improvements across all outcome measures (p < 0.05). However, the functional electrical stimulation group demonstrated superior improvements in Behavioral Inattention Test (23.70 ± 19.10 vs. 14.93 ± 9.66, p = 0.031), Catherine Bergego Scale (7.07 ± 6.13 vs. 4.11 ± 3.46, p = 0.039), Modified Barthel Index (21.43 ±19.45 vs. 12.43 ± 8.60, p = 0.024), and Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (13.40 ±10.10 vs. 7.64 ± 5.02, p = 0.045) compared with the conventional rehabilitation group. In addition, functional electrical stimulation demonstrated a favorable safety profile.ConclusionsThis study provides real-world evidence supporting that functional electrical stimulation may be an effective intervention for post-stroke unilateral spatial neglect.