Comparison Between Unihemispheric and Bihemispheric TCDS in Subacute Ischemic Stroke Patients

NCT ID: NCT04770363

Last Updated: 2023-03-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 36 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-02-01
• Study Completion Date: 2021-06-20

Brief Summary

This is a randomized clinical trial to study the effect of tDCS in participants with subacute ischemic stroke, the study participants will be randomly assigned into three groups; bihemispheric, unihemispheric and sham group.

Detailed Description

Despite the central origin of stroke affecting the primary motor cortex M1, majority of the rehabilitative techniques of physical therapy and occupational therapy practice depending peripheral methods for gaining motor functions. There is a great need to develop methods in order to improve the outcome of physical or medical rehabilitation and enhance long-term functional outcome. Many researches' work over the past several years have inspected the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to promote the advantageous effect of neurological rehabilitation.

The aim of This study Is to compare between the effect of unihemispheric and bihemispheric tDCS on the motor outcome, and spasticity in sub-acute ischemic stroke patients.

Thirty sub-acute ischemic stroke patients participated in the study, randomly assigned to one of three groups-tDCS bihemispheric or unihemispheric or sham group. Those patients had stroke in the last 3 months at maximum with NIH stroke score less than 25. ActivaDose tDCS (USA), the only FDA cleared device available for tDCS used in the clinical study to deliver noninvasive brain stimulation, consisted of 20 minutes of 2 mA in each session for twelve sessions three sessions per week. All participants received physiotherapy and rehabilitation therapy was tailored to meet all patients' deficits, and lasted a total of 45 minutes per day, 3 days per week for four weeks.

Conditions

Stroke, Ischemic; Stroke, Acute; Stroke, Lacunar; Hemiparesis; Hemiplegia; Motor Activity; Spastic; Spasticity, Muscle; Hemiplegic Gait

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

Bihemispheric Stimulation Group

The first group tDCS bihemispheric stimulation consisted of 20 minutes of 2 mA direct current with the anode placed over the ipsilesional and the cathode over the contralesional motor cortex M1 (C3 and C4 of the international 10 -20 EEG electrode system).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an emerging non-invasive brain stimulation technique which has been utilized in examining cortical function in healthy subjects and also showed significant outcome in neurological rehabilitation. A safe, portable, noninvasive painless, reversible, selective and focal brain stimulation technique, applied by sponge electrodes over the scalp. tDCS is capable of modulating the excitability of targeted brain zones through delivering a sustained direct current (DC), showed altering neuronal membrane potentials based on the polarity of the current. Researchers demonstrated modulating effects of anodal (increases cortical excitability) and cathodal (decreases cortical excitability) tDCS on brain tissue. The expected effects of tDCS brain stimulation exceeds the duration. Animal studies showed neuronal depolarization and increasing neuronal excitability of the anodal stimulation, and opposite results with cathodal stimulation.

Unihemispheric Stimulation Group

The second group unilateral stimulation, the anode placed over the ipsilesional motor cortex M1 (C3 or C4 of the international 10 -20 EEG electrode system) and the cathode over contralesional supraorbital bone.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an emerging non-invasive brain stimulation technique which has been utilized in examining cortical function in healthy subjects and also showed significant outcome in neurological rehabilitation. A safe, portable, noninvasive painless, reversible, selective and focal brain stimulation technique, applied by sponge electrodes over the scalp. tDCS is capable of modulating the excitability of targeted brain zones through delivering a sustained direct current (DC), showed altering neuronal membrane potentials based on the polarity of the current. Researchers demonstrated modulating effects of anodal (increases cortical excitability) and cathodal (decreases cortical excitability) tDCS on brain tissue. The expected effects of tDCS brain stimulation exceeds the duration. Animal studies showed neuronal depolarization and increasing neuronal excitability of the anodal stimulation, and opposite results with cathodal stimulation.

Sham Group

The third sham group, the anode placed over the ipsilesional motor cortex M1 (C3 or C4 of the international 10 -20 EEG electrode system) and the cathode over contralesional supraorbital bone, but delivering no current.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an emerging non-invasive brain stimulation technique which has been utilized in examining cortical function in healthy subjects and also showed significant outcome in neurological rehabilitation. A safe, portable, noninvasive painless, reversible, selective and focal brain stimulation technique, applied by sponge electrodes over the scalp. tDCS is capable of modulating the excitability of targeted brain zones through delivering a sustained direct current (DC), showed altering neuronal membrane potentials based on the polarity of the current. Researchers demonstrated modulating effects of anodal (increases cortical excitability) and cathodal (decreases cortical excitability) tDCS on brain tissue. The expected effects of tDCS brain stimulation exceeds the duration. Animal studies showed neuronal depolarization and increasing neuronal excitability of the anodal stimulation, and opposite results with cathodal stimulation.

Interventions

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an emerging non-invasive brain stimulation technique which has been utilized in examining cortical function in healthy subjects and also showed significant outcome in neurological rehabilitation. A safe, portable, noninvasive painless, reversible, selective and focal brain stimulation technique, applied by sponge electrodes over the scalp. tDCS is capable of modulating the excitability of targeted brain zones through delivering a sustained direct current (DC), showed altering neuronal membrane potentials based on the polarity of the current. Researchers demonstrated modulating effects of anodal (increases cortical excitability) and cathodal (decreases cortical excitability) tDCS on brain tissue. The expected effects of tDCS brain stimulation exceeds the duration. Animal studies showed neuronal depolarization and increasing neuronal excitability of the anodal stimulation, and opposite results with cathodal stimulation.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

(tDCS)

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Those patients had stroke in the last 3-6 months.
• Subcortical stroke of middle cerebral artery (MCA), caused unilateral hemiplegia.
• National institute of health stroke scale (NIHSS) motor deficits section with score 2 to 15.

Exclusion Criteria

• Patient with second onset of stroke or history of Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Metallic Implant or heart pacemakers.
• Primary cerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhagic stroke.
• Seizure or epilepsy or history of epilepsy at the family.
• Intracranial abscess or brain tumor.
• Cardiovascular disease myocardial infarction, heart failure (unstable cardiac status).
• Atrial Fibrillation or paroxysmal AF in the last 30 days.
• Congenital heart diseases.
• Presence of any other neurological or psychiatric disorder.
• Cognitive/consciousness disorders.
• Oher conditions should be excluded (e.g. tumor, cancer, rheumatologic, Lung disease related to infection, renal/ hepatic diseases, deep venous thrombosis and autoimmune diseases).
• Speech disorders (Dysarthria & Aphasia).
• NIH Stroke score above 25, will be excluded.
• Patients who underwent thrombolytic therapy or any vascular interventions.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Alexandria University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Nema Mohamed, PHD Prof

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Faculty of Science - Alexandria University

Locations

Ethics Committee - Alexandria Faculty of Medicine

Alexandria, , Egypt

Countries

Egypt

Other Identifiers

0106522

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id