Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016:2016:5068127.
doi: 10.1155/2016/5068127. Epub 2016 Mar 31.

tDCS and Robotics on Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation: Effect Modification by Stroke Duration and Type of Stroke

Sofia Straudi  1 , Felipe Fregni  2 , Carlotta Martinuzzi  1 , Claudia Pavarelli  1 , Stefano Salvioli  3 , Nino Basaglia  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

tDCS and Robotics on Upper Limb Stroke Rehabilitation: Effect Modification by Stroke Duration and Type of Stroke

Sofia Straudi et al. Biomed Res Int. 2016.

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this exploratory pilot study is to test the effects of bilateral tDCS combined with upper extremity robot-assisted therapy (RAT) on stroke survivors. Methods. We enrolled 23 subjects who were allocated to 2 groups: RAT + real tDCS and RAT + sham-tDCS. Each patient underwent 10 sessions (5 sessions/week) over two weeks. Outcome measures were collected before and after treatment: (i) Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), (ii) Box and Block Test (BBT), and (iii) Motor Activity Log (MAL). Results. Both groups reported a significant improvement in FMA-UE score after treatment (p < 0.01). No significant between-groups differences were found in motor function. However, when the analysis was adjusted for stroke type and duration, a significant interaction effect (p < 0.05) was detected, showing that stroke duration (acute versus chronic) and type (cortical versus subcortical) modify the effect of tDCS and robotics on motor function. Patients with chronic and subcortical stroke benefited more from the treatments than patients with acute and cortical stroke, who presented very small changes. Conclusion. The additional use of bilateral tDCS to RAT seems to have a significant beneficial effect depending on the duration and type of stroke. These results should be verified by additional confirmatory studies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT study flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Wade D. T., Langton-Hewer R., Wood V. A., Skilbeck C. E., Ismail H. M. The hemiplegic arm after stroke: measurement and recovery. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 1983;46(6):521–524. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.46.6.521. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wade D. T., Hewer R. L. Functional abilities after stroke: measurement, natural history and prognosis. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 1987;50(2):177–182. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.50.2.177. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kwakkel G. Impact of intensity of practice after stroke: issues for consideration. Disability and Rehabilitation. 2006;28(13-14):823–830. doi: 10.1080/09638280500534861. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Blennerhassett J., Dite W. Additional task-related practice improves mobility and upper limb function early after stroke: a randomised controlled trial. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy. 2004;50(4):219–224. doi: 10.1016/s0004-9514(14)60111-2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Takahashi C. D., Der-Yeghiaian L., Le V., Motiwala R. R., Cramer S. C. Robot-based hand motor therapy after stroke. Brain. 2008;131(2):425–437. doi: 10.1093/brain/awm311. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types