The world around us: Electrical Stimulation on Proprioception

 

Proprioception often referred to as the “sixth sense” is the body’s ability to perceive information about its position and movement in space, this is related to the central nervous system. Proprioception allows one to perform daily tasks associated with balance and coordination without depending on visual input or consciously thinking about each movement. However, the process of proprioception can be adversely affected by injuries and medical conditions (Hryvniak, Wilder, Jenkins, Statuta, 2021).

In the article, Effects of Noise Electrical Stimulation on Proprioception, Force Control, and Corticomuscular Functional Connectivity, Dr. Vincent Chen and colleagues studied the effects of noise electrical stimulation on proprioceptive senses as well as grip force control and how this correlate to neural activities in the central nervous system. The study found that noise stimulation with the appropriate intensity had an improvement on force and joint proprioceptive senses. Participants exposed to higher intensity electrical noise stimulation for a 30-minute period showed improvement in force proprioceptive perception. These results showed a potential clinical benefit for people with impaired proprioceptive senses.

                In the ScienceDirect journal, Improved proprioceptive function by application of subsensory electrical noise: Effects of aging and task-demand, Diana R. Toledo and colleagues discussed the benefits of subsensory electrical noise stimulation on proprioception in young and older adults. The study found that people exposed to electrical noise stimulation showed improvements in proprioception function, electrical noise stimulation applied to the legs led to faster response times for detecting ankle movements. Studies also revealed that electrical noise stimulation showed a reduction in the postural sway, providing better postural control only during more challenging tasks, specifically when the visual information was removed. The study found that electrical noise stimulation enhances proprioceptive and postural control especially during more demanding tasks. The improvements were not significantly influenced by the age of the participants but rather by the difficulty of the task which plays a more critical role in the effectiveness of the stimulation.

                Both studies demonstrate the positive effects of noise electrical stimulation on proprioception. Dr. Vincent Chen study showed that electrical noise stimulation at the appropriate intensity could be beneficial for the improvement of force and joint proprioceptive senses and mentions how noise stimulation could provide clinical benefits. While in the study by Diana R. Toledo, the results showed that electrical noise stimulation provided positive impacts in proprioceptive function and reduction of postural sway in both young and older adults. Both results show that electrical noise stimulation could potentially be clinically beneficial for young and older adults suffering from impaired proprioceptive senses.  

 

Hryvniak, D., Wilder, R. P., Jenkins, J., & Statuta, S. M. (2021). Therapeutic exercise. Braddom’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-62539-5.00015-1

Toledo, Diana R., et al. “Improved proprioceptive function by application of subsensory electrical noise: Effects of aging and task-demand.” Neuroscience, vol. 358, 1 Sept. 2017, pp. 103–114, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.06.045.