News Release

Treatment improves walking ability of Parkinson's patients

Pilot study tests treatment called 'functional electrical stimulation'

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Wiley

Salisbury, England – June 02, 2008 - The use of electrical impulses to stimulate weak or paralyzed muscles, called Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), is often used to help stroke or multiple sclerosis patients to walk. In a pilot study published in Neuromodulation, Geraldine E. Mann of Salisbury Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in England presents evidence that FES may also provide major benefits to people with Parkinson's disease.

People suffering from Parkinson's are prone to tripping and falling because they have difficulty picking up their feet consistently, as well as starting and maintaining walking. Although it has been widely observed that visual and auditory cues and cognitive strategies can improve walking ability in Parkinson's sufferers, this study marks the first time that FES has been considered as an aid.

"Stimulation is triggered in FES by a footswitch usually placed in the heel of the shoe," explains Mann. "As the heel rises stimulation starts, continues as the leg swings through and stops when the heel strikes the ground, continuing this cycle as the person walks."

Mann and her team find significant evidence that FES can immediately reduce falls in people with Parkinson's, as well as improving average stride length, speed of gait and distance walked.

The study also demonstrates a carryover or learning effect for improvements gained during FES use that continues even when stimulation has stopped.

While a larger study is required to support these findings, "they are interesting and deserve further investigation for the sake of people with Parkinson's disease for whom there is little treatment other than medication to alleviate the problems they have with walking," says Mann. "FES could make a big difference to their quality of life and provide therapists with an additional and much needed treatment modality."

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This study is published in Neuromodulation. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact medicalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net.

Geraldine E. Mann MSc., MCSP is a Consultant Physiotherapist at Salisbury Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Salisbury District Hospital, in England. She can be reached for questions at g.mann@salisburyfes.com.

Neuromodulation disseminates scientific and clinical information relevant to the field of neuromodulation. The journal's sole purpose is to advance the basic and clinical science of the field of neuromodulation. It publishes original, scientific works, scientific reviews, abstracts of papers accepted for review at national and international congresses, and past and future news of events and activities of the society and its membership. Because the science of neuromodulation transcends many disciplines such as anesthesiology, angiology, cardiology, neurology, neuroscience, rehabilitation medicine, and vascular surgery, the information presented varies widely. For more information, please visit www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/ner.

The International Neuromodulation Society (INS) is a non-profit group of clinicians, scientists and engineers dedicated to the scientific development and awareness of neuromodulation – the alteration of nerve activity through the delivery of electrical stimulation or chemical agents to targeted sites of the body. Founded in 1989 and based in San Francisco, CA, the INS educates and promotes the field through meetings, its journal Neuromodulation and chapter websites. For more information, please visit www.neuromodulation.com.

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd. by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and its merger with Wiley's Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,400 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit www.blackwellpublishing.com or http://interscience.wiley.com.


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