1552 - Whole-body Electrical Muscle Stimulation Exercise as a Novel Rehabilitation Approach for Myasthenia Gravis

Thursday, February 19, 2026

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM AST

Presenting Author(s)

KK

Kristina M. Kelly, PT, DPT, MS, EdM, NCS, CPT, PES

Assistant Research Professor
Univeristy of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, United States

Co-Author(s)

DV

Dallin J. Vorkink, BS

Medical Student
University of Missouri School of Medicine
Columbia, Missouri, United States
MC

Melissa Currence, PTA, BA

Clinical Evaluator, Physical Therapist Assistant
University of Kansas Medical Center
Fairway, Kansas, United States
SS

Sandhya Sasidharan, PT, DPT

Clincal Evaluator, Physical Therapist
University of Kansas Medical Center
Fairway, Kansas, United States
VO

Vaibhav Oberoi, M.B.B.S.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
NextGen Precision Health, University of Missouri, Columbia
Columbia, Missouri, United States
AK

Arsh Ketabforoush, MD

Resident Physician
Tower Health Drexel University
West Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
AD

Abby Davis, BS

Research Coordinator
University of Kansas Medical Center
Fairway, Kansas, United States
MP

Mamatha Pasnoor, MD

Professor, Neurology Residency Program Director
University of Kansas Medical Center
Fairway, Kansas, United States
WA

W. David Arnold, MD

Professor , NextGen Precision Health Initiative Executive Director.
University of Missouri , NextGen Precision Health
Columbia, Missouri, United States

Submitter(s)

KK

Kristina M. Kelly, PT

Univeristy of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, United States

Objectives: Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is characterized by pathological fatigability and muscle weakness that impair physical function. Although exercise interventions may confer functional benefits, conventional resistance and aerobic training paradigms are often poorly tolerated in this population. The present study sought to examine the effects of whole-body electrical muscle stimulation combined with exercise (WB-EMS Exercise) on fatigue, functional performance, and neuromuscular junction (NMJ) transmission in adults with MG.

Design: Participants completed a 4-week intervention utilizing a commercially available WB-EMS system. Each session consisted of 10–12 exercises performed over 20 minutes at mild to moderate intensity, twice weekly. Stimulation parameters were individualized according to participant tolerance and response. Outcome measures were collected 2–4 days prior to and following the intervention, including the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Arm Movement Test (AMT), and single-fiber electromyography of the vastus lateralis (SFEMG). Pre- to post-intervention changes were analyzed using paired t-tests.

Results:

Eight participants (3 male, 5 female; age range 21–77 years) completed the WB-EMS Exercise protocol. Significant improvements were observed in walking endurance (6MWT, p = 0.0021) and upper-limb endurance (AMT: left arm, p = 0.026; right arm, p = 0.007). Among participants with baseline FSS scores >37, indicative of clinically significant fatigue, post-intervention fatigue scores were significantly reduced (p = 0.021). In participants demonstrating abnormal jitter values on baseline SFEMG, partial to complete normalization was observed following the intervention.

Conclusions:

WB-EMS Exercise demonstrated efficacy in enhancing endurance in individuals with MG and may additionally reduce fatigue and improve NMJ transmission in those with elevated baseline impairments. These findings support WB-EMS Exercise as a potential adjunctive therapeutic strategy in MG, providing a feasible means for patients to remain physically active and mitigate secondary health risks associated with inactivity.