Using Subthreshold Vibratory Stimulation During Poststroke Rehabilitation Therapy: A Case Series.
Amanda A Vatinno, Lucion Hall, Hannah Cox and 8 others
PMID 34496711WHAT IT FOUND
Four stroke survivors used a wearable wristband delivering imperceptible vibration during six weeks of therapy.
They showed continuous improvement in arm function and daily use without safety issues. This small series cannot prove the device works, but suggests it is feasible for longer trials.
Key findings
01All four participants completed 18 therapy sessions wearing the device, reporting it as comfortable and safe, with no requests to remove it.
02Participants showed trends of improvement in arm motor function and use in daily life that were sustained at one-month follow-up.
03The study included no control group, so improvements cannot be attributed to the stimulation rather than the therapy itself.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study had only four participants, which is too small to determine if the treatment works or is safe for a broader population. There was no control group, so it is impossible to know if the improvements were due to the stimulation or simply the 6 weeks of intensive therapy. The authors have a patent on the device, which introduces a potential bias in how results are reported. Improvements in the Box and Block Test did not exceed measurement error, indicating inconsistent effects on all motor outcomes.
Declared interests
One author (N.J. Seo) is an inventor of a patent regarding the sensory stimulation device investigated in this study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the vibration caused the improvements. This was a case series with no control group, meaning the observed gains could be the result of the 18 sessions of intensive occupational therapy alone.