Misa Miura1, Kazunori Seki2, Osamu Ito1, Yasunobu Handa3, Masahiro Kohzuki1. 1. Department of Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. 2. Sendai School of Health and Welfare, Sendai, Japan. 3. Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Strength of the trunk muscles is a key component of motor control, but it declines easily with the process of aging and/or disuse. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of surface electrical stimulation (ES) to the abdominal muscles and the motor performance for care-needing elderly. DESIGN: Controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one elderly people (60-90 years) with care-needing, who were admitted to a nursing home or hospital for daily care and their score of Barthel Index had been stable from 55.3 ± 19.4 to 55.3 ± 19.8 during 3 months before intervention. INTERVENTION: Common physical/occupational therapy was performed for all of the subjects during the study period. ES was applied to the abdomen of 15 subjects (ES group) twice a day for 8 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Functional measurements were performed before and after beginning of the study with some parameters as follows: grip strength; movement time for sitting up (MSU); maximum walking speed (WS). RESULTS: No significant differences between two groups were noted for characteristics at baseline. In the ES group, MSU (from 21.1 ± 21.4 to 10.4 ± 8.3 sec) significantly improved (p < 0.05) after 8weeks. WS (from 17.7 ± 12.1 to 24.3 ± 15.3 m/min) were also improved (p < 0.05) after 8 weeks. LIMITATIONS: A limitation of this study was the small sample size. CONCLUSIONS: ES to the abdominal area has the potential to improve motor function in the care-needing elderly through reinforcement of the abdominal muscles.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Strength of the trunk muscles is a key component of motor control, but it declines easily with the process of aging and/or disuse. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of surface electrical stimulation (ES) to the abdominal muscles and the motor performance for care-needing elderly. DESIGN: Controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one elderly people (60-90 years) with care-needing, who were admitted to a nursing home or hospital for daily care and their score of Barthel Index had been stable from 55.3 ± 19.4 to 55.3 ± 19.8 during 3 months before intervention. INTERVENTION: Common physical/occupational therapy was performed for all of the subjects during the study period. ES was applied to the abdomen of 15 subjects (ES group) twice a day for 8 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: Functional measurements were performed before and after beginning of the study with some parameters as follows: grip strength; movement time for sitting up (MSU); maximum walking speed (WS). RESULTS: No significant differences between two groups were noted for characteristics at baseline. In the ES group, MSU (from 21.1 ± 21.4 to 10.4 ± 8.3 sec) significantly improved (p < 0.05) after 8weeks. WS (from 17.7 ± 12.1 to 24.3 ± 15.3 m/min) were also improved (p < 0.05) after 8 weeks. LIMITATIONS: A limitation of this study was the small sample size. CONCLUSIONS: ES to the abdominal area has the potential to improve motor function in the care-needing elderly through reinforcement of the abdominal muscles.