Effect of tDCS on Brain Organization and Motor Recovery
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Adrian Guggisberg
- Where
- Switzerland2 sites in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
- Trial code
- Status
- Terminated
- People taking part
- 36 people enrolled
- Started
- 13 Nov 2017
- Ended
- 30 Sept 2024
- Type of study
- Interventional, 4 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- DC-stimulator (Neuroconn, Germany)
- Record updated
- 11 June 2025
- Why it stopped
- End of funds before obtaining the planned number of patients.
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 18 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- ≤ 4 weeks after stroke onset
- Paresis of upper limb with Fugl-Meyer score between 15 and 55 at study entry
- Capable of participating during treatment sessions of 30-60 minutes
- Informed consent obtained
Who cannot take part
- New additional stroke during rehabilitation
- Severe co-morbidities (e.g., traumatic, rheumatologic, neurodegenerative disease)
- History of seizures or epilepsy
- Incapacity to understand study information or task instructions during trial
- Reduced vigilance or delirium
- Severe language deficits
- Preexisting affection of an upper limb
- Severe spasticity or dystonia
- Pregnancy
- Pacemaker
- Skull breach
- Metallic object in the brain
- Other contraindication to non-invasive brain stimulation
This trial has no sites in United States.
It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Neurological deficits and motor disorders are extremely common after stroke. Physical therapies can improve the autonomy of these patients, but despite an intensive stationary neurorehabilitation, severe deficits often persist. Complementary therapies that could improve recovery would therefore be very welcome.
Read full original descriptionShow less
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induces, in a non-invasive way, a transient inhibitory or excitatory neuromodulation of certain cerebral regions. An increasing number of studies show that this modulation of brain activity can improve motor functions in patients with brain lesions and increase the effect of physical therapies. However, the "optimum" configuration of tDCS and the induced effects remain to be characterized and investigated.
The investigators therefore propose to carry out a study including a pilot phase in order to determine the most efficient tDCS setup. The optimum setup of of the pilot phase will be compared to a placebo condition in a multicentric main study.
The 4 groups in the trial
- Anodal tDCSExisting treatment, for comparison
The anode is placed over the primary motor cortex of the stroke affected hemisphere, the cathode over the contralesional supraorbital front of the patient.
Treatment: DC-stimulator (Neuroconn, Germany)
- High definition (HD) anodal tDCSExisting treatment, for comparison
A single HD anode is placed over the primary motor cortex of the stroke affected hemisphere, 4 HD cathodes are placed over the affected hemisphere around the anode.
Treatment: DC-stimulator (Neuroconn, Germany)
- Bihemispheric tDCSExisting treatment, for comparison
The anode is placed over the primary motor cortex of the stroke affected hemisphere, the cathode over the primary motor cortex of the contralesional hemisphere.
Treatment: DC-stimulator (Neuroconn, Germany)
- Sham tDCSSham treatment, for comparison
The electrodes are placed as in one of the active arms, but only a ramp up current is applied during 30 seconds and then switched off. This induces similar sensations for the patients, but no change in excitability.
Treatment: DC-stimulator (Neuroconn, Germany)
Data and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Brain Organization and Motor Recovery After Stroke
- Record updated
- 11 June 2025