Transcranial direct current stimulation for motor recovery of upper limb function after stroke

Abstract

Backround: Changes in neural processing after stroke have been postulated to impede recovery from stroke. Transcranial direct current stimulation has the potential to alter cortico-spinal excitability and thereby might be beneficial in stroke recovery.

Methods: We review the pertinent literature prior to 30/09/2013 on transcranial direct current stimulation in promoting motor recovery of the affected upper limb after stroke.

Results: We found overall 23 trials (they included 523 participants). All stimulation protocols pride on interhemispheric imbalance model. In a comparative approach, methodology and effectiveness of (a) facilitation of the affected hemisphere, (b) inhibition of the unaffected hemisphere and (c) combined application of transcranial direct current stimulation over the affected and unaffected hemispheres to treat impaired hand function after stroke are presented.

Conclusions: Transcranial direct current stimulation is associated with improvement of the affected upper limb after stroke, but current evidence does not support its routine use.

Keywords: Motor recovery; Stroke; Transcranial direct current stimulation; Upper limb.