Trial Outcomes & Findings for Functional Electrical Stimulation for Footdrop in Hemiparesis (NCT NCT00148343)

Subjects screened over 5-yr study period: 469. Subjects completing informed consent and eligibility eval: 158. Subjects enrolled: 110. Last date of enrollment:10/27/2009. Final date subject study completion: 8/2/2010. All subject screening, enrollment, and study participation took place at an academic medical center.

Enrolled subjects (n=110) were stratified by presence or absence of dorsiflexion, based on clinical exam, prior to randomization into treatment and control groups. No enrolled subjects were excluded from the trial prior to assignment to groups.

Functional Electrical Stimulation for Footdrop in Hemiparesis

Lower limb motor impairment as measured by the lower limb portion of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) which consists of 17 items, with a maximum possible score of 34 points, with lower scores indicating higher impairment. Each item was answered using a 3-point ordinal scale (0 = cannot perform, 1 = can partially perform, 2 = can fully perform).

The number of steps taken by participants in one minute

The mEFAP comprises 5 individually timed tasks performed over different environmental terrains. The subtasks include (1) a 5-meter walk on a hard floor; (2) a 5-meter walk on a carpeted surface; (3) rising from a chair, a 3-meter walk, and return to a seated position (the "timed up-and-go" test); (4) traversing a standardized obstacle course; and (5) ascending and descending 5 stairs. The mEFAP is performed with or without the use of an orthotic device or an AD. Manual assistance (MA) is provided as necessary. The subject can use rails when climbing the stairs. The 5 timed subscores are added to derive a total score in seconds.

The Stroke Specific Quality Of Life scale (SS-QOL) is a patient-centered outcome measure intended to provide an assessment of health-related quality of life specific to patients with stroke. Patients must respond to each question of the SS-QOL with reference to the past week. It is a self-report scale containing 49 items in 12 domains: Mobility, Energy, Upper extremity function, Work/productivity, Mood, Self-care, Social roles, Family roles, Vision, Language, Thinking, Personality. There are 11 subscales. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale with higher scores indicate better functioning. The overall SS-QOL summary score (summation of all items) is presented here. Scores range from 49-245.