Multiple interventions for upper limb sensory impairment after stroke are described but there is insufficient evidence to support or refute their effectiveness in improving sensory impairment, upper limb function, or participants' functional status and participation. There is a need for more well-designed, better reported studies of sensory rehabilitation.
Electrical stimulation of wrist and fingers for sensory and functional recovery in acute hemiplegia.
To investigate the effects of a short-term electrical stimulation in conjunction with neurodevelopmental exercises on sensory and functional recovery of hemiparetic upper limb in acute stroke patients.
                Controlled clinical trial with alternate allocation.
                Acute inpatient medical care setting of a university hospital.
                Thirty-six acute stroke patients (18 TENS group; 18 control group) who experienced their first stroke were studied.
                Both groups received 1 h/day neurodevelopmental exercises in accordance with Bobath for 10 days. In addition to exercises the TENS group received electrical stimulation of the wrist and finger extensors for 1 h.
                Kinaesthesia and position sense tests, a hand function test and a hand movement scale were performed before and after treatment.
                Both groups showed considerable improvement in kinaesthesia sense and position sense after treatment. Comparison of the two groups after treatment revealed that this difference was not significant (P> 0.05). Both groups showed improvement in hand movement scores (P< 0.05), whereas hand function improved only in the TENS group (P< 0.05).
                The results of this study indicated that additional stimulation of the hand and fingers leads to an improved sensorimotor outcome immediately after the intervention.