Anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) does not improve upper extremity recovery in patients with mild to moderate stroke, new data suggest.
In a prospective, randomized trial, improvement in upper extremity function, as measured by the upper-extremity Fugl-Meyer assessment (UEFMA), was 9.07 among patients who received sham stimulation and 8.76 among patients who received active stimulation.
Dr Christian Gerloff
"Both treatment groups showed very good upper extremity recovery up to 12 months after stroke," study investigator Christian Gerloff, MD, professor of neurology and chairman of the Department of Neurology at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, told Medscape Medical News.
"The safety profile of tDCS was favorable," he added. "In particular, there were no seizures related to brain stimulation."
Gerloff presented the findings at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2021, which was held online.
tDCS vs Sham
Upper extremity dysfunction is a potentially disabling problem that affects 50% to 80% of patients with stroke, said Gerloff. It is a major hurdle to overcome for the resumption of activities of daily living.
A convincing body of experimental evidence suggests that tDCS can modify neuronal excitability in the motor cortex, said Gerloff. "We had some proof-of-principle data in a small group of stroke patients that were very encouraging." Data also indicate that tDCS is safe and can be applied responsibly during the phase of maximum plasticity; that is, during the first weeks after stroke, Gerloff added.
