Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 20, 2025
08:53
Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke
Published on: June 6, 2025
635
Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Can Reduce Unilateral Spatial Neglect after Stroke: ELETRON Trial
Taís Regina da Silva1, Hélio Rubens de Carvalho Nunes2, Laís Geronutti Martins1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil.
Annals of Neurology
|June 10, 2022
Summary
Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS) combined with physical therapy improved unilateral spatial neglect (USN) after stroke. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in larger trials.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Clinical Neurology
Background:
- Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) is a common post-stroke deficit.
- Current rehabilitation techniques for USN show variable outcomes.
- Brain stimulation techniques offer potential for novel therapeutic approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of physical therapy combined with anodal (A-tDCS) and cathodal (C-tDCS) transcranial direct current stimulation for improving visuospatial and functional impairments in stroke-induced USN.
- To compare the effects of A-tDCS and C-tDCS against sham stimulation in patients with USN.
Main Methods:
- A double-blinded, pilot randomized clinical trial was conducted with USN patients post-ischemic stroke.
- Participants received 20 minutes of tDCS (anodal, cathodal, or sham) followed by 7.5 weeks of outpatient physical therapy.
- The primary outcome measure was the degree of USN assessed by the Behavior Inattention Test-Conventional (BIT-C). Secondary outcomes included the Catherine Bergego Scale (CBS), stroke severity (NIHSS), disability (mRS, BI, FIM), and quality of life (EQ-5D).
Main Results:
- A-tDCS significantly improved BIT-C scores compared to sham stimulation (MD = 18.4, p = 0.008).
- No significant differences were found between A-tDCS and C-tDCS (p = 0.057), or C-tDCS and sham (p = 0.99).
- No significant differences were observed between groups for any secondary outcome measures.
Conclusions:
- Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS) in conjunction with physical therapy demonstrates potential in reducing the severity of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) following a stroke.
- These preliminary findings warrant confirmation through larger-scale phase 3 clinical trials to establish definitive efficacy.
