tDCS does not enhance the effects of robot-assisted gait training in patients with subacute stroke.

Authors

• Daniel Leon
• Mar Cortes
• Jessica Elder
• Hatice Kumru
• Sara Laxe
• Dylan James Edwards
• Josep Maria Tormos
• Montserrat Bernabeu
• Alvaro Pascual-Leone

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-2017

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, which can modulate cortical excitability and combined with rehabilitation therapies may improve motor recovery after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to study the feasibility of a 4-week robotic gait training protocol combined with tDCS, and to study tDCS to the leg versus hand motor cortex or sham to improve walking ability in patients after a subacute stroke.

METHODS: Forty-nine subacute stroke patients underwent 20 daily sessions (5 days a week for 4 weeks) of robotic gait training combined with tDCS. Patients were assigned either to the tDCSleg group (n = 9), receiving 2 mA anodal tDCS over the motor cortex leg representation (vertex), or an active control group (n = 17) receiving anodal tDCS over the hand motor cortex area (tDCShand). In addition, we studied 23 matched patients in a control group receiving gait training without tDCS (notDCS). Study outcomes included gait speed (10-meter walking test), and quality of gait, using the Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC) before and after the 4-week training period.

RESULTS: Only one patient did not complete the treatment because he presented a minor side-effect. Patients in all three groups showed a significantly improvement in gait speed and FAC. The tDCSleg group did not perform better than the tDCShand or notDCS group.

CONCLUSION: Combined tDCS and robotic training is a safe and feasible procedure in subacute stroke patients. However, adding tDCS to robot-assisted gait training shows no benefit over robotic gait training alone.

Volume

35

Issue

4

First Page

377

Last Page

384

ISSN

1878-3627

Published In/Presented At

Leon, D., Cortes, M., Elder, J., Kumru, H., Laxe, S., Edwards, D. J., Tormos, J. M., Bernabeu, M., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2017). tDCS does not enhance the effects of robot-assisted gait training in patients with subacute stroke. Restorative neurology and neuroscience, 35(4), 377–384. https://doi.org/10.3233/RNN-170734

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

28697574

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article