Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on posture, movement planning, and execution during standing voluntary reach following stroke.

Only 10 individuals with stroke were tested. The design compared two active tDCS conditions, cathodal premotor and anodal M1; no sham condition is reported. Outcomes were laboratory measures of response incidence, onset times, trunk movement, and motor-evoked potentials, not daily reaching or clinical function. Effects were measured only on the same day as the 20-minute session, so longer-term change was not assessed. The trial was registered retrospectively because the researchers did not know about trial registration before enrolment. Motor-evoked potential data were available for 6 or 8 subjects for M1 and 5 or 7 subjects for PMAs, not all 10 participants. The authors note that stimulation over PMAs and M1 may not have been fully separable because current could spread between nearby cortical areas. Participants had to be able to reach with the paretic arm in standing without an assistive device, so the results may not apply to people who need an assistive device to reach.

The supplied text does not include an author conflicts-of-interest declaration. The publication types list research support from NIH extramural and non-U.S. government sources.

Do not conclude that premotor-area tDCS improves posture or movement planning after stroke. The premotor condition reduced the startle-related posture response at both tested sound timings, and the trial measured laboratory outcomes in 10 people immediately after one session.