Ipsilesional anodal tDCS enhances the functional benefits of rehabilitation in patients after stroke

• DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aad5651
• Publication Date: 2016-03-16T20:23:13Z
• Authors: Claire Allman; Ugwechi Amadi; Anderson M. Winkler; Leigh Wilkins; Nicola Filippini; Udo Kischka; Charlotte J. Stagg; Heidi Johansen-Berg
• Keywords: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; Stroke

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can boost the effects of motor training and facilitate plasticity in healthy human brain. Motor rehabilitation depends on learning plasticity, occur after stroke. We tested whether brain using anodal tDCS added to could improve outcomes patients performed a randomized, controlled trial 24 at least 6 months first unilateral stroke not directly involving primary cortex. Patients received either (n= 11) or sham treatment 13) paired with daily for 9 days. observed improvements that persisted 3 post-intervention compared Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) Wolf Function (WMFT) but Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer (UEFM) score. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed increased activity during movement affected hand ipsilesional premotor cortex group group. Structural MRI revealed intervention-related increases gray matter volume cortical areas, including treatment. The addition 9-day program improved long-term clinical relative