The Effects Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation On Patients With Working Memory Dysfunction After Stroke

Objective:The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation(t DCS)on patients with working memory dysfunction after stroke by means of a clinical randomized controlled trial,and to observe the differences in the efficacy of t DCS with different stimulation modalities.It aims to provide the best plan for the rehabilitation treatment of patients with working memory dysfunction after stroke.Methods:Forty-five patients who met the trial criteria were randomly assigned to three different treatment regimens: trial group 1,trial group 2,and control group.The sample size was the same for all three groups,with 15 patients.Patients in all three groups received conventional rehabilitation treatment and cognitive training for stroke.Among them,test group 1(online group)received cognitive training simultaneously during t DCS treatment,test group 2(offline group)had t DCS treatment 4-5 hours after cognitive training,and the control group was given pseudo-t DCS and cognitive training simultaneously.Patients were assessed for working memory using mini mental state examination(MMSE),montreal cognitive assessment(Mo CA),forward digit span task(FDST),backward digit span task(BDST),0-back(accuracy rates,reaction times),and 1-back(accuracy rates,reaction times)at three time points before(T0),1 week after(T1),and 2 weeks after(T2)the start of the trial.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in general information and working memory indicators among the three groups at T0(P > 0.05).At T1,the differences in MMSE,Mo CA,FDST,BDST,0-back(accuracy rates,reaction times),and 1-back(accuracy rates,reaction times)scores were not statistically significant among the three groups(P > 0.05).At T2,there was a statistically significant difference in 0-back(accuracy rates)scores between test group 1,test group 2 and control group(P = 0.007),and test group 2 was higher than control group(P = 0.006).There were no statistically significant difference in MMSE,Mo CA,FDST,BDST,0-back(reaction times),and 1-back(accuracy rates,reaction times)scores between the three groups(P > 0.05).In test group 1,the differences in Mo CA scores at the three time points were statistically significant(P < 0.05),and patients performed better in working memory at T2 than at T0 and T1(P < 0.05).The differences in MMSE,FDST,BDST,and 0-back(accuracy rates)scores at the three time points were not statistically significant(P > 0.05).In test group 2,the differences in MMSE,Mo CA,FDST,BDST,and 0-back(accuracy rates)scores were statistically significant at all three time points(P < 0.05),and patients performed better on working memory at T2 than at T0 or T1(P < 0.05).In the control group,the differences in MMSE and Mo CA scores at the three different time points were statistically significant(P < 0.05),and the patient’s working memory performance was better than that of T0 and T1 at T2(P < 0.05).The differences in FDST,BDST,and 0-back(accuracy rates)scores at the three different time points were not statistically significant(P > 0.05).Conclusion:The three groups of different stimulation modalities had a positive effect on the recovery of patients with working memory dysfunction after stroke,but the effect of t DCS on patients with working memory dysfunction after stroke was not significant,and the difference in the efficacy of different stimulation modalities was not significant.