Targeted therapy to improve outcomes following stroke

Targeted neuromodulation with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to improve upper limb motor function following stroke.

Status

Withdrawn

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12607000597493

Enrollment

Registered

2007-11-20

Start date

2008-01-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Following stroke, the side of the brain affected by the stroke is often under-active. This may limit its ability to recover function. The purpose of this study is to see whether the activity of the stroke-affected side of the brain can be increased, using a technique called Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS). TDCS is a safe, non-invasive and painless way of altering the activity levels of neurons in the brain. This study will trial 3 different TDCS protocols, to see which is the most effective at producing a short-term increase in the activity of the stroke-affected side of the brain. In particular, the speed and skill of hand movements will be measured before and after a 20 minute period of TDCS, in addition to other neurophysiological measures of brain activity. Our hypothesis is that TDCS can be individually targeted, based on the parts of the brain affected by stroke, in a way that may enhance the benefits of physical therapy. If we find that TDCS is effective, this may lead to a larger scale trial, integrating TDCS with physical therapy, where it may improve functional outcomes.

Interventions

Anodal and cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (in separate sessions separated by at least 1 week) delivered to primary motor cortex via surface electrodes, for 20 minutes at an intensity of 1 milliamp.

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Treatment

Masking

Blinded (masking used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

First ever monohemispheric stroke between 6 and 12 weeks prior to inception Upper limb weakness National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score between 2 and 16 at inception Medically stable Ambulatory

Exclusion criteria

Contraindications to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or Magnetic Resonance Imaging Medications known to alter neural excitability Cognitive impairment precluding informed consent

Outcome results