Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42479759›Full record

ArticleExperimental physiology2026

Acute lower leg transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation increases leg blood flow and exercise capacity in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Thomas K Pellinger, Catherine B Neighbors, Joshua C Hefta, Patrick H Luo, Carl B Suarez, Erotokritos T Varlas, Grant H Simmons, Brett J Wong

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Thomas K PellingerDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6229-7126
Catherine B NeighborsSentara Center for Healthcare Simulation and Immersive Learning, Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Joshua C HeftaDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA.
Patrick H LuoDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA.
Carl B SuarezDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA.
Erotokritos T VarlasDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA.
Grant H SimmonsDepartment of Medical Pharmacology & Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
Brett J WongDepartment of Kinesiology & Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4763-0208

Funding

Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore GR100269
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that two different durations of lower leg transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) increase post-TENS popliteal artery blood flow (PABF), popliteal vascular conductance (PVC), and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Seven subjects (5 male, 2 female) with PAD (67.9 ± 7.4 years; claudication: ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.90) participated in three randomized treatment sessions: control or bilateral TENS (3.0 Hz burst mode, 250 µs) for either 15 or 45 min. PABF (Doppler ultrasound) was measured before and after treatment. 6MWD and time/distance to claudication onset were measured 25 min post-treatment during each session. PABF, PVC and 6MWD increased after both 15 and 45 min of TENS (P < 0.05, post-TENS vs. pre-TENS baseline/control). Our preliminary results suggest that as little as 15 min of lower leg TENS increases leg blood flow and exercise capacity in individuals with PAD.

Indexed as

claudicationelectric stimulation therapysix‐minute walk test

Identifiers

PMID42479759
PMCPMC13394253

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.