The comprehensive ICF core sets for stroke can be used by multidisciplinary teams to classify the life experience of stroke survivors, although efforts to enable and enhance reproducibility are needed to warrant its reliable routine use.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect that electromyographic biofeedback (EMG-BFB), used in conjunction with occupational therapy (OT) and functional electrical stimulation (FES), has on spasticity, range of motion, and upper extremity function in hemiplegic patients. A total of 59 patients treated at a university-based rehabilitation centre were studied. Of those 59 patients, 31 received twice-weekly sessions of OT+FES, together with weekly sessions of EMG-BFB, and 28 received only the twice-weekly sessions of OT+FES. The patients were evaluated at baseline, at 6 months, and at 12 months, using the hand function test, the Minnesota manual dexterity test, the joint range of motion scale, and the modified Ashworth scale. At 6 months, the patients receiving EMG-BFB presented significantly greater improvement in upper extremity function than those receiving only OT+FES. Incorporating EMG-BFB into the treatment regimen had a positive effect on the range of motion and on the recovery of upper extremity function in hemiplegic patients. Biofeedback training might represent an important therapeutic tool for the rehabilitation of stroke patients.

To study the influence of functional electric stimulation (FES) on grip acquisition and on the change of grip processing speed, 38 hemiplegic patients took part in the rehabilitation program of the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Hospital das Clinicas, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo. Half of the patients received FES on their wrist and finger extensor muscles. The patients in this study were evaluated initially, then after 3 months and after 6 months using the Minnesota manual dexterity test. We concluded that the time necessary for use of FES to generate a significant improvement in the grip speed in hemiplegic patients is 6 months, using twice-weekly administration of stimulation.

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