Positive effects of functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling on perception of effort, cerebral blood flow, and cognition in post-stroke patients

 Didn't your competent? doctor increase your cerebral blood flow by all these other methods? Oh no, YOUR FUCKINGLY INCOMPETENT DOCTOR DID NOTHING FOR YOUR BLOOD FLOW AT ALL, RIGHT?

What other protocols is your doctor using to significantly improve oxygen delivery immediately post stroke? The first hours and days? NOTHING? Then you DON'T have a functioning stroke doctor, do you? This just proves how incompetent your board of directors is!

Maybe these, why isn't your incompetent doctor already delivering these to you?

cerebral blood flow (47 posts to July 2016)

Cerebral blood flow autoregulation (1 post to July 2021)

Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity (1 post to Febraury 2020)

cortical oxygenation (1 post to November 2020)

oxygen delivery (20 posts to January 2020)

oxygen uptake (5 posts to August 2013)

• Super Saturated Oxygen Therapy (1 post to May 2021)

Normobaric oxygen (10 posts to January 2020)

brain blood flow (3 posts to April 2019)

 Oh, your incompetent doctor doesn't have any and doesn't fucking care about learning better ways to get you recovered! Well, fire them! 

The latest here:

Positive effects of functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling on perception of effort, cerebral blood flow, and cognition in post-stroke patients

• Maël Descollonges,
• Julie Di Marco,
• Ehsan Jafari,
• Pierre-Henri Pouillart,
• Julien V. Brugniaux,
• Benjamin Pageaux &
• Gaëlle Deley 

Abstract

Background

Functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted cycling may reduce perceived effort by lowering the required motor command compared to voluntary cycling. While benefits on effort perception have been shown during walking in stroke and multiple sclerosis patients, its effectiveness during cycling in stroke rehabilitation remains unproven. Thus, this work aimed to test the effect of functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling on stroke patients’ perception of effort (primary aim) in a randomized controlled study design. In an exploratory way, this work also aimed to examine the effect of FES-assisted cycling on cerebral blood flow and cognitive performance (exploratory aims) in a subsample.

Methods

Fifteen post-stroke patients completed functional electrical stimulation-assisted (Kurage, Lyon, France) and traditional cycling sessions separated by 72 h. Perceived effort, cardio, and cerebrovascular parameters were monitored during exercise. Cognitive performance was assessed before and after each session. Qualitative data were reported after both sessions.

Results

Patients reported a lower perceived effort during functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling than traditional cycling. Both sessions increased heart rate, end-tidal CO₂, cardiac output, and cerebral artery blood flow velocity, with higher blood lactate levels after functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling. Traditional and functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling positively impacted cognitive performance, with more pronounced improvements observed in the FES condition.

Conclusion

Traditional and functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling induced similar increased cardio and cerebrovascular responses. However, patients perceived functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling as less effortful than traditional cycling. As effort is a barrier to regular exercise engagement and adherence, these results are promising for implementing functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling in stroke patients’ rehabilitation.