[Electrical stimulation in the treatment of the spastic hemiplegic hand after stroke: a randomized study].

Background And Objective: It has been claimed that neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) may enhance hand motor recovery after a stroke. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an electrostimulation protocol on range of motion and strength of the hand in a group of elderly patients with spastic hemiplegia after a stroke.

Patients And Method: 20 elderly patients 60 years old and over with hand impairment due to stroke were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (conventional rehabilitation and NMES) or control group (conventional rehabilitation).