Non-invasive cortical stimulation improves post-stroke attention decline.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Attention decline after stroke is common and hampers the rehabilitation process, and non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has the potential to elicit behavioral changes by modulating cortical excitability. The authors tested the hypothesis that a single session of non-invasive cortical stimulation with excitatory anodal tDCS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can improve attention in stroke patients.

METHODS:

Ten patients with post-stroke cognitive decline (MMSE 25) and 10 age-matched healthy controls participated in this double blind, sham-controlled, crossover study involving the administration of real (2 mA for 20 min) or sham stimulation (2 mA for 1 min) to the left DLPFC. Attention was measured using a computerized Go/No-Go test before and after intervention. Improvements in accuracy and speed after stimulation relative to baseline were compared for real and sham stimulations.

RESULTS:

In healthy controls, no significant improvement in Go/No-Go test was observed after either real or sham stimulation. However, in stroke patients, tDCS led to a significant improvement in response accuracy at 1 hour post-stimulation relative to baseline, and this improvement was maintained until 3 hours post-stimulation (P< 0.05), whereas sham stimulation did not lead to a significant improvement in response accuracy (P> 0.05). Changes in reaction times were comparable for the two stimulations (P> 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Non invasive anodal tDCS applied to the left DLPFC was found to improve attention versus sham stimulation in stroke patients, which suggests that non-invasive cortical intervention could potentially be used during rehabilitative training to improve attention.

• Authors: Eun Kyoung Kang, Min Jae Baek, Sangyun Kim, Nam-Jong Paik
• Journal: Restorative neurology and neuroscience (Restor Neurol Neurosci) Vol. 27 Issue 6 Pg. 645-50 ( 2009) ISSN: 1878-3627 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 20042788 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Analysis of Variance
• Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (etiology, therapy)
• Case-Control Studies
• Choice Behavior (physiology)
• Double-Blind Method
• Electric Stimulation Therapy
• Fatigue (etiology, therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Mental Status Schedule
• Middle Aged
• Neuropsychological Tests
• Prefrontal Cortex (physiology)
• Stroke (complications)
• Treatment Outcome