The direct application of vibratory stimuli has anti-spastic effects in the hemiplegic upper limbs of post-stroke patients.

The direct application of vibratory stimuli is an effective non-pharmacological anti-spastic treatment that could facilitate stroke rehabilitation. These results provide good evidence of potential short-term benefits of anti-spastic vibratory therapy in post-stroke patients in terms of decreased muscle tonus and improved motor function.

This study investigated the relationship between dysgeusia and dysesthesia in stroke patients and evaluated the effect of carbamazepine therapy. Twenty-four patients with dysesthesia of the face, oral cavity, or tongue were divided into two groups: with and without subjective dysgeusia. Taste thresholds were objectively evaluated using the filter-paper taste test and electrogustometry. There was no significant difference in taste thresholds between the two groups. Carbamazepine had an effect on subjective dysgeusia in four of the eight treated patients. Dysgeusia with dysesthesia in stroke patients might be caused by disorders of the somatosensory pathway rather than disorders of the gustatory pathway.

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ObjectiveTo study the effects on the hemiplegic upper limb of repetitive facilitation exercises (RFEs) using a novel facilitation technique, in which the patient's intention to move the hemiplegic upper limb or finger was followed by realization of the movement using multiple sensory stimulations.MethodsTwenty-three stroke patients were enrolled in a cross-over study in which 2-week RFE sessions (100 repetitions each of five-to-eight types of facilitation exercise per day) were alternated with 2-week conventional rehabilitation (CR) sessions, for a total of four sessions. Treatments were begun with the 2-week RFE session in one group and the 2-week CR session in the second group.ResultsAfter the first 2-week RFE session, both groups showed improvements in the Brunnstrom stages of the upper limb and the hand, in contrast to the small improvements observed during the first CR session. The Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF) score, which evaluates the ability of manipulating objects, in both groups improved during both sessions. After the second 2-week RFE and CR sessions, both groups showed little further improvement except in the STEF score.ConclusionThe novel RFEs promoted the functional recovery of the hemiplegic upper limb and hand to a greater extent than the CR sessions.