BACKGROUND: Temperature of axilla could be affected due to motor dysfunction of limbs and neural changes of vessel after ischemic stroke.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of percutaneous neuromuscular electric stimulation (PNES) on difference in temperature of axilla and analyze the relationship between function of limbs and difference in temperature of axilla.DESIGN: Randomized grouping and controlled observation.SETTING: Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: Sixty patients with ischemic stroke were selected from Neurological Department of General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA from January to June 2003. All cases were diagnosed with clinical diagnosis criteria of ischemic stroke established by the Fourth Chinese Classification of Cerebrovasular Disease and CT examination and received neuromuscular electric stimulation (NES). Patients were randomly divided into control group and treatment group with 30 in each group.METHODS: Control group: Patients received routinely neurological therapy. Treatment group: Except routine therapy, patients suffered from NES at 48 hours after hospitalization. NMT-91 NES equipment was used to stimulated injured limbs with Iow frequency once 30 minutes a day in total of 10 times a course, especially extensor muscle of upper limb and flexor muscle of lower limb. Prescription of hemiplegia was intally decided by equipment with the output frequency of 200 Hz. Intensity of electric output could cause muscle contraction.The therapy needed two or three courses. Temperature of bilateral axilla was measured every day to calculate the difference with the formula of (temperature of axilla on the injured side - temperature of axilla on the healthy side). Motor function of limbs was measured with FugI-Meyer Motor Assessment (FMA) during hospitalization and at 2 and 4 hours after hospitalization. Among 90 points, upper and lower limb function was 54,equilibrium function 10, sensory function 10, and motion of joint 16. The higher the scores were, the better the function was. Correlation of data was dealt with linear correlation analysis.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessment and correlation between difference in temperature of axilla and motor function of injured limbs during hospitalization and at 2 and 4 weeks after hospitalization.RESULTS: All 60 patients with ischemic stroke were involved in the final analysis. ① Difference in temperature: Difference of 2 and 4 weeks after hospitalization was lower than that in control group and at just hospitalization [treatment group: (0.056±0.000), (0.024±0.003) ℃; control group: (0.250±0.001), (0.131±0.001) ℃;hospitalization: (0.513±0.001) ℃, P ＜ 0.05-0.01]. ② FMA scores: Scores of 2 and 4 weeks after hospitalization were higher than those in control group and at just hospitalization [treatment group: (43.50±15.09),(67.97±18.21) points; control group: (33.33±13.54), (40.87±19.34) points; hospitalization: (26.43±11.87)points, P ＜ 0.05-0.01]. ③ Correlation: Difference in temperature of axilla was negative correlation with FMA scores (/= -0.255 1, P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSrON: ① PNES can accelerate recovery of limb function and decrease temperature of axilla of patients with ischemic stroke. ② The lower the difference in temperature is, the better the functional recovery is.