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Threshold electrical stimulation (TES) in ambulant children with CP: a randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial
Author(s) -
Dali Christineí,
Hansen Flemming Juul,
Pedersen Søren Anker,
Skov Liselotte,
Hilden Jørgen,
Bjørnskov Inge,
Strandberg Charlotte,
Christensen Jette,
Haugsted Ulla,
Herbst Grethe,
Lyskjær Ulla
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2002.tb00830.x
Subject(s) - placebo , physical therapy , randomized controlled trial , cerebral palsy , medicine , gross motor function classification system , range of motion , clinical trial , psychology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , anesthesia , surgery , alternative medicine , pathology
A randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled clinical trial was carried out to determine whether a group of stable children with cerebral palsy (36 males, 21 females; mean age 10 years 11 months, range 5 to 18 years) would improve their motor skills after 12 months of threshold electrical stimulation (TES). Two thirds received active and one third received inactive stimulators. For the primary outcome we constructed a set of plausible motor function tests and studied the change in summary indices of the performance measurements. Tests were videotaped and assessed blindly to record qualitative changes that might not be reflected in performance measurements. We also judged range of motion, degree of spasticity, and muscle growth measured by CT. Fifty seven of 82 outpatients who were able to walk at least with a walker, completed all 12 months of treatment (hemiplegia n =25, diplegia n =32). There was no significant difference between active and placebo treatment in any of the tested groups, nor combined. Visual and subjective assessments favoured TES (ns), whereas objective indices showed the opposite trend. We conclude that TES in these patients did not have any significant clinical effect during the test period.