Objective: To investigate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on upper limb motor dysfunction in stroke patients with hemiplegia.
Methods: A total of 240 stroke patients with hemiplegia who met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups (60 cases in each group): control group, NMES group, rTMS group, and NMES + rTMS group. Before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment, we evaluated and compared the results including Fugl-Meyer assessment of upper extremity (FMA-UE) motor function, modified Barthel index (MBI), modified Ashworth scale (MAS), and motor nerve electrophysiological results among the 4 groups.
Results: Before treatment, there was no significant difference in the scores of FMA-UE, MBI, MAS, and motor nerve electrophysiological indexes among the four groups, with comparability. Compared with those before treatment, the scores of the four groups were significantly increased and improved after treatment. And the score of the NMES + rTMS group was notably higher than those in the other three groups.
Conclusion: NMES combined with rTMS can conspicuously improve the upper extremity motor function and activities of daily life of stroke patients with hemiplegia, which is worthy of clinical application and promotion.
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