Article

OBJECTIVES: 1) To investigate the feasibility of combining transcranial direct
current stimulation (tDCS) to the lower extremity (LE) motor cortex with novel
locomotor training to facilitate gait in subjects with chronic stroke and low
ambulatory status, and 2) to obtain insight from study subjects and their
caregivers to inform future trial design. METHODS:
Double-blind, randomized
controlled study with additional qualitative exploratory descriptive design.
One-month follow-up.10 subjects with stroke were recruited and randomized to
active tDCS or sham tDCS for 12 sessions. Both groups participated in identical
locomotor training with a robotic gait orthosis (RGO) following each tDCS
session. RGO training protocol was designed to harness cortical neuroplasticity.
Data analysis included assessment of functional and participation outcome
measures and qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: Eight subjects completed the
study. Both groups demonstrated trends toward improvement, but the active tDCS
group showed greater improvement than the sham group. Qualitative analyses
indicated beneficial effects of this combined intervention. CONCLUSIONS: It is
feasible to combine tDCS targeting the LE motor cortex with our novel locomotor
training. It appears that tDCS has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of
gait training in chronic stroke. Insights from participants provide additional
guidance in designing future trials.

Langue : ANGLAIS