| Objective To investigate whether or not cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation(ct DCS),combined with virtual reality(VR),would be superior to VR alone in improving upper limb function and quality of life in patients with ischemic stroke in short term.Methods Forty poststroke patients who suffered ischemic stroke between 2 weeks to 1 year were recruited for this single-blind randomized control trial.These participants were randomly assigned either to an experimental group(n=20)that received c-t DCS and VR,or a control group(n=20)that received sham c-t DCS and VR.The cathodal electrode was positioned over the primary motor cortex(M1)of the unaffected hemisphere.The treatment programs consisted of 20 minutes of daily therapy,delivered 5 days per week,for 2 weeks.Both groups received routine medicine and rehabilitation during the intervention.The upper limb motor function and activities of daily living(ADL)of the two groups were evaluated before intervention and 2 weeks after intervention.Fugl-Meyer Upper Limb(F-M UL)and Action Research Arm Test(ARAT)were used to assess upper limb motor function,and Barthel Index(BI)was used to assess ADL.Results Baseline scores for F-M UL,ARAT and BI were comparable in all groups(P>0.05).After 2 weeks,both treatments significantly improved F-M UL,ARAT and BI scores(P<0.05),but greater improvements were found in the experimental group.Conclusions This finding supports that c-t DCS,combined with VR can facilitate a stronger beneficial effect on upper limb impairment than VR rehabilitation alone in patients with ischemic stroke in short term. |
