Electrical stimulation (ES) is another method that has been used in facilitating the recovery of upper limb functioning following stroke. ES can induce a muscle contraction, or it can be a somatosensory stimulation below the motor threshold. Regardless the type of stimulation, there is some evidence that ES can aid in reducing motor impairments, but the questions regarding the optimal stimulation protocol (e.g. current amplitude, pulse frequency, placement of electrodes, treatment duration), long-term effect and transfer of training effect into ADL remains unanswered. Since this body of evidence is primarily based upon studies conducted on ES in chronic stroke patients, it also remains unknown to what extent ES applied in the acute phase after stroke could affect the recovery of upper limb functioning. Although the vast majority of the studies have focused on ES that induces muscle contraction, it is widely accepted that somatosensory input is required for maintaining normal motor function. Research shows that motor skills acquisition and motor performance are dependent on somatosensory input, and stroke patients with intact somatosensory function experience more satisfactory response to rehabilitation. In healthy persons, the application of electrical somatosensory stimulation (ESS) to peripheral hand nerves, forearm muscles or the whole hand elicits an increase in the cortical excitability of the representations that control the stimulated body parts, and the increased cortical excitability seems to outlast the stimulation period itself. It has been hypothesized that increasing the amount of somatosensory input may enhance the motor recovery of patients following stroke. Recent studies in acute, subacute and mostly chronic stroke patients suggest that a single 2 hours-session of ESS to the peripheral hand nerves leads to transient improvement of pinch force, movement kinematics and upper limb motor skills required for ADL-performance. The higher the current amplitude, the more prominent the effect seems to be. ESS is used in conjunction with motor training in only one of these studies. One study demonstrates that the effect of a single session of ESS is maintained 30 days after cessation of intervention. Interestingly, there is emerging evidence that multiple sessions of ESS to the peripheral hand nerves in conjunction with motor training might improve motor skills of the paretic upper limb in subacute and chronic stroke patients, and these positive results seems to outlast the intervention period. When ESS is delivered in multiple sessions, it is unclear which current amplitude is optimal in subacute stroke patients. ESS of the whole hand using glove electrodes may or may not benefit the motor recovery of the paretic upper limb in chronic stroke patients. Importantly, ESS is passive in nature, causes patients minimal discomfort, has no adverse effects, is relatively cheap and can easily be incorporated in regular practice. Therefore it is valuable to establish the effect of multiple sessions of ESS in the restoration of upper limb functioning in the acute phase of stroke.