Attempts to influence movement disorders in hemiparetics.

Abstract

Step duration, measured in hemiparetic patients walking on a circular path, showed that step duration of the affected foot is usually longer. Functional electrical stimulation of the peroneal nerve in the swing phase of the step (eliminating foot drop) shortened step duration in the majority of cases. Hypnosis induced by the verbal fixation technique was used in hemiparetic patients (a) to ascertain whether the patient's mobility would increase during hypnosis and to determine (in positive cases) whether this approach might be used to predicting the effect of rehabilitation performed by classical methods; (b) to use hypnosis as a method of auxiliary treatment. The general finding was that the extent of movements of the hemiparetic upper extremity considerably improved during and immediately after hypnosis. This effect could be observed both at the level of severe impairment (at the beginning of treatment) and during the later stages when mobility greatly improved due to rehabilitation and recovery.