Trial reportMedicine2017
Short-term microcurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulation to improve muscle function in the elderly: A randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial.
Trial report in Medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Population-specific equations of age-related maximum handgrip force: a comprehensive review.PeerJ · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of whole-body ELECTROMYOSTIMULATION on health and performance: a systematic review.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Comparative evaluation of effect of microcurrent electrical stimulation on acupoints to control gag reflex in patients receiving prosthodontic treatment: AnJournal of Indian Prosthodontic SocietyTrial
- Advances in electrical stimulation-based therapeutic technologies for sarcopenia prevention and treatment.Bioactive materials · 2026Review
- Investigating the therapeutic efficacy of microcurrent therapy: a narrative review.Therapeutic advances in chronic disease · 2025Review
- Bioelectric medicine: unveiling the therapeutic potential of micro-current stimulation.Biomedical engineering letters · 2024Review
- Do Electrical Stimulation Devices Reduce Pain and Improve Function?-A Comparative Review.Pain and therapy · 2023Review
- Physiological effects of microcurrent and its application for maximising acute responses and chronic adaptations to exercise.European journal of applied physiology · 2023Review
- The Potential of Electrical Stimulation and Smart Textiles for Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme · 2022Article
- Effects of Acute Microcurrent Electrical Stimulation on Muscle Function and Subsequent Recovery Strategy.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Effects of Microcurrent on Oxygen Saturation by Controlling Rectus Abdominis Activity in Preterm Infant With Desaturation During Feeding: A Pilot Study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2021Article
- Effectiveness of combining microcurrent with resistance training in trained males.European journal of applied physiology · 2019Article
- Comparative Study of Pain Relief in Two Non-Pharmacological Treatments in Patients with Partial Rotator Cuff Tears: A Randomized Trial.Anesthesiology and pain medicine · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMicrocurrent electrical neuromuscular stimulation (MENS) has been suggested to improve muscle function and restore damaged muscle. However, current evidence is insufficient to determine the effectiveness of this therapy in age-dependent muscle weakness. Therefore, a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial was designed to evaluate the effects of short-term MENS on muscle function in the elderly.
methodsA total of 38 healthy elderly participants aged 65 years and above were enrolled and randomly divided into 2 stimulation groups: real or sham MENS group. Real or sham MENS were applied to the 8 anatomical points of the dominant arm and leg during the course of 40 minutes. We performed muscle function tests at baseline and after the intervention: the handgrip strength tests (HGS, kg), the root mean square values (RMS, μV), and the single leg heel-rise tests (HRT) to determine changes in the strength, activity, and endurance of the elderly muscle, respectively.
resultsIn the real MENS group, the mean values of the HGS and the number of plantar flexions were significantly increased, but the RMS value of the electromyography signal was significantly decreased after the real intervention (P < .05). However, the sham MENS group showed a significant decrease in the number of plantar flexions and the total time for HRT after the sham stimulation (P < .05). The mean difference in the RMS value was significantly lower, but the number of plantar flexions and the total time for HRT was significantly higher in the real MENS group than in the sham MENS group (P < .05).
conclusionThe findings suggest that short-term application of MENS may play a partial role in enhancing physical activities of the elderly, as it can improve some muscle function.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.