Case Report: Feasibility of clinic-to-home multichannel FES-assisted gait rehabilitation in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Background: Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is used as an adjunct to gait rehabilitation in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), but most approaches target a single muscle group. This case report describes the feasibility, tolerability, and observed functional changes associated with a novel multichannel FES (NeuroSkin®) system, to our knowledge the first report of its use across clinic-to-home phases in PwMS, in a 61-year-old woman with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (EDSS 6) with gait and balance impairment requiring a cane for community ambulation. Methods: This retrospective case report analyzed prospectively collected routine-care data covering an 18-week multimodal FES-assisted rehabilitation program comprising 58 sessions of 60-80 min each: a 7-week clinic-based phase (23 sessions), a 6-week supervised home-based phase (20 sessions), and a 5-week unsupervised home-based phase (15 sessions). Sessions included motor imagery, sit-to-stand training, FES-assisted cycling, and overground gait training. Multichannel stimulation was delivered in a gait-phase-specific manner (40 Hz; pulse widths 200-400 µs) according to muscle group. Functional outcomes were assessed at baseline (PRE), after the clinic-based (MID1), supervised home-based (MID2), and unsupervised home-based (POST) phases, using the Functional Reach Test (FRT), 10-m Walk Test, and Timed Up and Go (TUG); data were analyzed descriptively. Results: (+96%), and TUG time decreased from 17 to 11 s (-35%); both changes exceeded published minimal detectable change thresholds for these measures in MS. FRT improved from 32 cm at PRE to 40 cm at MID1 (+25%) and 42 cm at MID2 (+31%) but returned to the baseline value (32 cm) at POST. Quantified gait analysis showed higher walking speed and step length during the supervised phases than the unsupervised phase. The participant completed all 58 sessions. Conclusions: Despite inherent limitations of a single retrospective case report, these findings indicate that a multichannel FES-assisted rehabilitation program is feasible and well tolerated in a person with advanced SPMS across care settings; controlled studies are needed to establish efficacy.
Language: English
Subfield: Rehabilitation
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W7223219832