Functional Electrical Stimulation for Upper Limbs Flexion-Extension and Prehension Movements in Rehabilitation

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), is a tecnique that uses low-energy electrical pulses to artificially generate muscle contractions, in individuals with damages regarding the central nervous system. The application of FES in clinical environment involves both patients care and rehabilitation. Aim of this work is to introduce a clinical FES protocol for upper limbs rehabilitation, in order to assist and train the execution of complex movement, such as flexion- extension of wrist and fingers and palmar prehension. The new FES protocol has been tested on a cohort of five subjects with different upper limb neuromotor deficits, during their rehabilitation. The benefits deriving from the application of the new FES protocol have been evaluated by comparing specific quantitative electromyographic parameters assessed before and after the treatment. Results show effective improvements in performances of 4 patients out of 5.