About this trial
The purpose of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is effective in reducing spasticity in adults with post-stroke spasticity. The primary research question is whether TENS can reduce the severity of spasticity. The effectiveness of TENS will be assessed by comparing spasticity-related outcomes measured before, during, and after the intervention. Participants will first undergo a one-hour baseline monitoring period, during which assessments will be conducted at 10-minute intervals. This will be followed by a 30-minute TENS intervention and a two-hour follow-up period, with assessments performed every 10 minutes. One participant will repeat this protocol once daily for three consecutive days, whereas the remaining three participants will undergo the procedure on a single occasion.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Age between 18 and 70 years
Post-stroke wrist flexor spasticity scored as Grade 2 or 3 on the Australian Spasticity Assessment Scale (ASAS), specifically selecting patients whose passive stretch resistance (post-catch response) can be easily overcome to ensure accurate and unconfounded electrophysiological evaluation.
At least 6 months post-stroke (chronic phase).
Provision of voluntary, written informed consent prior to study enrollment.
Disqualifiers
Age <18 or >70 year
Contraindications to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (e.g., implanted electronic devices, history of epilepsy, or localized skin lesions preventing electrode placement)
Concomitant wrist contracture or pain sufficient to impede clinical evaluation
Structural abnormalities of the elbow joint obstructing median nerve stimulation
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)