Author(s)

Hye-Joo Jeon, Ju-Hyun Kim, Byong-Yong Hwang, Bokyung Kim, Junghwan Kim

Department of Physical Therapy, College of Public Health & Welfare, Yongin University, Yongin, Korea.
Department of Physiology, Institute of Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea.
Laboratory of Health Science & Nanophysiotherapy, Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate Scool, Yongin University, Yongin, Korea.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in the sensory threshold between the paretic and nonparetic sides of hemiplegic patients. 28 patients who were hemiplegic post-stroke (14 men and 14 women) participated in the electrical sensory and pain thresholds study; 22 patients who were hemiplegic post-stroke (13 men, 9 women) participated in a study measureing the sensory threshold with light touch. Electrical sensory and pain thresholds were measured in the forearm via transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The light-touch threshold was measured in the forearm using monofilaments. The light-touch, electrical sensory, and pain thresholds for the paretic side were significantly higher than for the nonparetic side in our population, respectively. In both the nonparetic and paretic sides, the male group generally showed higher thresholds for pain and sensation than did the female group. These results suggest that the different evaluations of sensory thresholds performed in this study for healthy rehabilitation will be a valuable clinical tool in hemiplegic patients after stroke.

Sensory Threshold; Paretic and Nonparetic Sides; Healthy Rehabilitation; Stroke

Jeon, H. , Kim, J. , Hwang, B. , Kim, B. and Kim, J. (2012) Analysis of the sensory threshold between paretic and nonparetic sides for healthy rehabilitation in hemiplegic patients after stroke. Health, 4, 1241-1246. doi: 10.4236/health.2012.412183.