STIM HD WP1

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The use of neuromuscular electrical STIMulation as a treatment for sarcopenia in people on HaemoDialysis - The Stim-HD Work Package 1

  • IRAS ID

    347115

  • Contact name

    James Burton

  • Contact email

    Jb343@leicester.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Leicester

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 7 months, 24 days

  • Research summary

    In advanced chronic kidney disease, individuals often start dialysis, which replaces the kidney function. However, people on dialysis often experience sarcopenia, which is a loss of muscle mass and strength that leads to worse clinical outcomes.
    Often, exercise is recommended to combat sarcopenia, but many chronic kidney disease patients struggle to do regular exercise. We propose the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation as an alternative, which is a well-tolerated rehabilitation technique that increases muscle mass and strength.
    Neuromuscular electrical stimulation causes a muscle to contract involuntarily. Though it has been shown to be tolerable, the stimulation parameters that lead to the best outcomes with minimal discomfort are not known. As part of this pilot study, we intend to investigate the parameters of neuromuscular electrical stimulation that will lead to the best outcomes for the least discomfort. This will allow us to then assess the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation as a treatment for sarcopenia in future studies.

  • REC name

    West of Scotland REC 5

  • REC reference

    24/WS/0162

  • Date of REC Opinion

    26 Nov 2024

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion