Effects of somatosensory electrical stimulation on motor function and cortical oscillations.

Fourteen people were screened, nine received the intervention, and eight completed the analyses. One participant dropped out because of fatigue. No control group was used, so practice effects, expectation, rest, or spontaneous variation cannot be ruled out. Participants knew the research question and were not blinded. Outcomes were measured only immediately before and after a single 2-hour session. The sample was small and mixed, with stroke, hemorrhage, tumor, and traumatic brain injury. Authors state it is unclear whether baseline sensory impairments affected individual responses. The EEG analysis had more predictors than participants, so the brain activity association is very preliminary. The study excluded people with severe aphasia, apraxia, cognitive impairment, absent sensation, or poor finger range, so it may not apply to more impaired patients.

The work was funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and the National Institute of Mental Health. No competing interests are reported in the supplied text.

Do not read this as proof that sensory electrical stimulation improves hand function. The improvements were seen in eight people after a single session with no control group and no blinding, so they may reflect practice, expectation, or natural variation.