tACS and Upper Limb Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke

ConditionStroke

Trial statusNot yet recruiting

Trial phaseNot applicable

Trial typeInterventional

Biological sexAll

Age21-80

SponsorNational University Hospital, Singapore

About this trial

This study tests whether a brain stimulation technique called tACS can help stroke patients recover movement in their affected arm.

Patients receive either real or fake brain stimulation three times a week for about a month (12 sessions total). During each session, they wear a cap with electrodes that deliver mild electrical currents tailored to their individual brain patterns, while researchers monitor their brain activity.

The study measures progress at three time points: before treatment, right after treatment, and one month later. Researchers use brain stimulation tests to check how well the brain controls muscles, and conduct physical tests to measure arm movement, muscle stiffness, and grip strength.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Age 21-80 years old;

First ever stroke, at least 9 months after stroke onset;

Evidence of corticomotor excitability as manifested by a recordable Motor Evoked Potential from the ipsilesional Motor Cortex (M1) by TMS measurement.

Objectively documented motor weakness of the upper extremity as manifested by an Upper Extremity-Fugl-Meyer Assessment score <=55

Disqualifiers

Patients with implants: cardiac, neural or medication implants; any electrically, magnetically or mechanically activated implant; brain medical devices; vascular clips or any other electrically sensitive support system in the brain; other metal implants inside the body that are contraindications of MRI scan;

Pregnancy;

Patients with a history of seizures; Patients with unexplained episodes of loss of consciousness, since such condition could be related with brain alterations or epilepsy;

Patients with serious brain injury;

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

tACS
Sham

Treatment groups

34 Participants

are divided into 2 treatment groups

Sponsors and collaborators

National University Hospital, Singapore

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov