Enhancement of Cortical Excitability and Lower Limb Motor Function in Patients With Stroke by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

- We evaluate the effect of anodal tDCS for improving motor impairment after stroke.
- We recruited 24 patients (tDCS and sham group) with early-stage stroke.
- The MEPs became shorter in latency and higher in amplitude in the tDCS group.
- Improvements in MI-LE were greater in the tDCS group.
- Anodal tDCS is beneficial for improving motor function in the lower limbs.

BackgroundMotor dysfunction in the lower limbs is a common sequela in stroke patients.ObjectiveWe used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to determine if applying transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the primary motor cortex helps enhance cortical excitability. Furthermore, we evaluate if combination anodal tDCS and conventional physical therapy improves motor function in the lower limbs.MethodsTwenty-four patients with early-stage stroke were randomly assigned to 2 groups: 1) the tDCS group, in which patients received 10 sessions of anodal tDCS and conventional physical therapy; and 2) the sham group, in which patients received 10 sessions of sham stimulation and conventional physical therapy. One day before and after intervention, the motor-evoked potential (MEP) of the affected tibialis anterior muscle was evaluated and motor function was assessed using the lower limb subscale of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA-LE), lower limb Motricity Index (MI-LE), Functional Ambulatory Category (FAC), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and gait analysis.ResultsThe MEPs in the tDCS group became shorter in latency and higher in amplitude after intervention in comparison with the sham group. Improvements in FMA-LE and MI-LE were greater in the tDCS group, but no significant differences in FAC or BBS scores were found. Also, the changes observed on the gait analyses did not significantly differ between the tDCS and sham groups.ConclusionCombination anodal tDCS and conservative physical therapy appears to be a beneficial therapeutic modality for improving motor function in the lower limbs in patients with subacute stroke.