EMG biofeedback in stroke: a 1-year follow-up on the effect of patient characteristics.

Outcomes from emg biofeedback training to 28 upper and 26 lower extremities among 34 patients who were hemiplegic were reassessed at varying intervals and at 1-year after completion of feedback sessions. Examinations took into account both neuromuscular measures of muscle activity and total limb function. There was virtually no deterioration in performance among the 19 upper and 20 lower extremities in which the outcome had previously been graded as "success" or "moderate." Therefore, age, sex, affected side, duration of injury or previous rehabilitation, or the presence of proprioceptive involvement are unrelated to a 1-year retention of improved function. Since patients continued to function within the limits of clinical improvement achieved during biofeedback training, it was concluded that sensory-motor integrative processes had been learned.