The Effects Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation On The Recovery Of Balance Function After Stroke

Objective:The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)on the recovery of balance function in stroke patients through a clinical randomized controlled trial with a particular sample size and analyze the differences in different stimulation modes.It hopes to provide new solutions for the rehabilitation of stroke patients with balance disorders.Methods:Patients with post-stroke balance dysfunction who meet the test criteria were randomly given three treatment options: test group 1,test group 2,and control group.The sample size of the three groups was balanced,with a total of 30 patients.All three groups received primary stroke treatment and balance training.Balance training and tDCS treatment in group1 were carried out simultaneously.Patients in group 2 were treated with tDCS before the training.The Control was treated with pseudo tDCS.The Berg Balance Scale(BBS),the timed up and go test(TUGT),the Self-rated Fall Concern Scale(FES-I),and the length of the trajectory of the center of gravity were used to evaluate the patient’s balance function at the beginning of the trial,1 week later and 2 weeks later.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in general data and balance indicators of each group at the beginning of the trial(P>0.05).One week after the trial,the differences in BBS score between group 1 and the control were statistically significant(P=0.013),and the differences between the two experimental groups were not statistically significant(P=1.000);the differences of FES-I score between group 1 and the control(P=0.006),group2 and the control(P=0.009)were statistically significant,and the differences between the two experimental groups were not statistically(P=0.422).Two weeks after the trial,there were significant differences in BBS scores between group 1 and the control(P<0.001),group 2 and the control(P=0.006),but no significant differences were found in the two experimental groups(P=0.368);there were significant differences in FES-I scores between group 1 and the control(P=0.015),group 2 and the control(P=0.011),but no significant differences between the two experimental groups(P=1.000);the differences of track length between group 1 and the control were statistically significant(P = 0.020),but there were no significant differences between the experimental groups(P=1.000).In group 1,the BBS,TUGT,FES-I and the track length had significant differences at three time points(P < 0.001),and the balance performance of patients after 2 weeks was better than the beginning(all P < 0.001)and 1 week later(all P < 0.001).In group 2,the BBS score was significantly improved after two weeks(P = 0.025);the TUGT,FES-I and the track length were significantly different at three time points(P < 0.001),and the balance performance after 2 weeks was better than the beginning(P = 0.025,P <0.001,P < 0.001)and 1 week later(P = 0.018,P < 0.001,P = 0.006,P < 0.001).In the control group,there was no significant difference in BBS scores at three time points,but there were significant differences in TUGT,FES-I,and the track length at three time points(P < 0.001).The balance performance of patients after 2 weeks was better than the beginning(P = 0.036,P < 0.001,P < 0.001)and 1 week later(P = 0.042,P = 0.001,P =0.005).Conclusion:The results of this study showed that the combination of tDCS and conventional rehabilitation training could significantly improve the balance dysfunction caused by stroke,promote the recovery of the patient’s balance function,and at the same time improve the patient’s functional ambulation ability and enhance the patient’s self-confidence in maintaining balance in daily activities.