Impact of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with motor-cognitive intervention on post-stroke cognitive impairment

• Published in: Neurological sciences 2024-04, Vol.45 (4), p.1581-1588
• Main Authors: Zhang, Liya, Zhou, Liang, Ye, Qing, Zhang, Li, Kong, Yurou, Xia, Siying
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cognition; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - etiology; Cognitive Dysfunction - therapy; Electrical stimulation of the brain; ESB; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurology; Neuroradiology; Neurosurgery; Occupational Therapy; Original Article; Patients; Psychiatry; Stroke; Stroke - complications; Stroke - therapy; Stroke Rehabilitation - methods; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation - methods
• ISSN: 1590-1874; 1590-3478
• DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07156-2

Objective In this study, it was explored whether the efficacy on applying transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with motor-cognitive intervention for post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) was greater than that on applying each method alone. Methods A total of 90 patients with PSCI admitted to Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, China, from April 2021 to June 2022 were randomly divided into a tDCS group ( n  = 30), a motor-cognitive intervention group ( n  = 30), and a combination group ( n  = 30). All three groups received conventional rehabilitation therapy. The tDCS group was given tDCS therapy. The motor-cognitive intervention group received motor-cognitive intervention, whereas the combination group received tDCS combined with motor-cognitive intervention. The treatment duration was 4 weeks. The general data of patients were recorded before treatment. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Scale and the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) Scale were used to evaluate the cognitive function of patients in three groups before and after treatment. Further, within- and between-groups comparisons were performed to determine differences in cognitive function. Results Before treatment, there was no significant difference between the baseline scores of the three groups ( P  > 0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, except for the score for the LOTCA motor praxis subtest of the tDCS group, the MoCA and LOTCA scores of the three groups significantly improved compared with the corresponding scores before treatment ( P