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.
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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)
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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
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