Disclosures: Bestin Kuriakose, DO: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest
Objective: This is a pilot study is to explore the feasibility of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment followed by standard occupational therapy on hemiparetic patients in an acute inpatient rehabilitation setting.
Design: Prospective Randomized controlled study Setting : Acute inpatient rehabilitation unit in a community hospital Participants : Patients with acute hemiplegic stroke with onset 5-15 days between the age 18 and 90
Interventions: Two patients enrolled in the study, they were randomized into the active tDCS and sham stimulation groups. Subjects received tDCS stimulation or sham stimulation with the Activadose II tDCS device for five consecutive days. After receiving brain stimulation, the patients received upper limb movement training with an occupational therapist.
Main Outcome Measures: Fugl- Meyer Assessment upper extremity scale and the standardized functional assessments from the BITS system. MOCA assessed cognitive changes. BECK depression inventory scale assessed patients mood.
Results: MOCA scoring in the treatment group was (pre;15, post;14), in the sham group (pre;25, post;23). BECK scale, treatment group (pre;7, post;2), sham group (pre;14, post;10). Fugyl-meyer scale treatment group (pre;51, post;57), sham group (pre;26, post;30). BITS scale, treatment group (pre; 17.14, post 34.88), sham group (pre;18.37, post 5.56). Conclusions: Two patients were recruited successfully with plans to enroll more subjects in the future. Both completed trials without any adverse events. Currently there is not enough data to perform statistical analysis. tDCS has the potential to be beneficial for patients with hemiparetic strokes when used in conjunction with occupational therapy.
Level of Evidence: Level II
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Kuriakose B, Zhang J. Functional and Physiological Assessment of Combined Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Upper Extremity Training on Acute Stroke Patients [abstract]. PM R. 2020; 12(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/functional-and-physiological-assessment-of-combined-transcranial-direct-current-stimulation-tdcs-and-upper-extremity-training-on-acute-stroke-patients/. Accessed May 31, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2020
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/functional-and-physiological-assessment-of-combined-transcranial-direct-current-stimulation-tdcs-and-upper-extremity-training-on-acute-stroke-patients/