Abstract: Objective To study the effects of electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation on upper extremity functional recovery of acute stroke patients. Methods 60 stroke patients who lost wrist extension even in the electromyography (EMG) within 4 weeks were randomly assigned to experimental group and control group. The experimental group received electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation, and the control group received neuromuscular stimulation. They were assessed with EMG, Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), Barthel index (BI) before and 4 weeks after treatment. Results The EMG, scores of FMA and BI improved in all the patients after treatment (P=0.000), and improved more in the experimental group (P<0.05). Conclusion Electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation can improve the motor function of hemiplegia, even in the patients without change of EMG.

Key words: electromyography-triggered neuromuscular stimulation, stroke, hemiplegia, motor function, upper extremity, rehabilitation