A CLINICAL-TRIAL OF THERAPEUTIC ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION FOR AMYOTROPHIC-LATERAL-SCLEROSIS

This paper describes the effects of therapeutic electrical stimulation (TES) on the wasting muscles in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sc lerosis. The patient is a 47-year-old male, and he has a history of pr ogressive muscle weakness and atrophy, affected more in the right side , Percutaneously indwelling intramuscular electrodes were implanted to the affected muscles in the right upper and lower extremities but no electrode in the corresponding left region. Within a month of TEX ther apy, a rapid improvement of extremity motion appeared in the TES treat ed side. Long-term application of TES more than 3 months increased the strength of the muscle which had been evidently weaker than the non-t reated side. CT findings of both the upper and lower extremities with TES therapy showed an increase in the density and a reduction in the m oth-eaten image. An increase in the thickness of the muscles was also observed in the TES treated side while deterioration was observed in t he muscles on the non-treated side.