https://jpcp.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-747-en.html

Objective: Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting 5% of children. Developmental stuttering disrupts the smooth flow of speech, resulting in characteristic speech disfluencies. Anxiety is one of the most widely observed and extensively studied psychological concomitants of stuttering. Recently, it has been shown that noninvasive brain stimulation may be useful in enhancing the results of fluency interventions in people who stutter. The present study aimed to examine whether the severity of stuttering and anxiety was affected by transcranial direct current stimulation in children who stutter. Methods: This study is a clinical trial study in which the statistical community includes school-aged children in Tehran who were referred to psychological clinics for treatment. Twenty-two children with stuttering were randomly assigned in two groups. Eleven children in the experimental group would receive real transcranial direct current stimulation, and 11 children in the control group were exposed to sham stimulation. The experimental group received 20 min of 2-mA anodal stimulation in 15 sessions in three weeks. The severity of stuttering and anxiety was assessed before and after the last session and then 1 and 6 weeks after the intervention. Results: The severity of stuttering and anxiety in both groups were similar before the intervention (P>0.05). A significant decrease in the severity of stuttering and anxiety at the end of the intervention and 1 and 6 weeks after the intervention occurred in the experimental group (P<0.05), while the control group did not show any significant change. Conclusion: The results indicated that stuttering severity and anxiety were ameliorated by transcranial direct current stimulation immediately after the intervention and at 1 and 6 weeks follow-up.

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Safety and Feasibility of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Pediatric Hemiparesis: Randomized Controlled Preliminary Study

Physical Therapy ◽

10.2522/ptj.20130565 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 95 (3) ◽

pp. 337-349 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Bernadette T. Gillick ◽

Tim Feyma ◽

Jeremiah Menk ◽

Michelle Usset ◽

Amy Vaith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Hand Function ◽

Behavioral Data ◽

Control Group ◽

Double Blind ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Preliminary Study

Background Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of noninvasive brain stimulation that has shown improved adult stroke outcomes. Applying tDCS in children with congenital hemiparesis has not yet been explored. Objective The primary objective of this study was to explore the safety and feasibility of single-session tDCS through an adverse events profile and symptom assessment within a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled preliminary study in children with congenital hemiparesis. A secondary objective was to assess the stability of hand and cognitive function. Design A double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled pretest/posttest/follow-up study was conducted. Setting The study was conducted in a university pediatric research laboratory. Participants Thirteen children, ages 7 to 18 years, with congenital hemiparesis participated. Measurements Adverse events/safety assessment and hand function were measured. Intervention Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group, with safety and functional assessments at pretest, at posttest on the same day, and at a 1-week follow-up session. An intervention of 10 minutes of 0.7 mA tDCS was applied to bilateral primary motor cortices. The tDCS intervention was considered safe if there was no individual decline of 25% or group decline of 2 standard deviations for motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and behavioral data and no report of adverse events. Results No major adverse events were found, including no seizures. Two participants did not complete the study due to lack of MEP and discomfort. For the 11 participants who completed the study, group differences in MEPs and behavioral data did not exceed 2 standard deviations in those who received the tDCS (n=5) and those in the control group (n=6). The study was completed without the need for stopping per medical monitor and biostatisticial analysis. Limitations A limitation of the study was the small sample size, with data available for 11 participants. Conclusions Based on the results of this study, tDCS appears to be safe, feasible, and well tolerated in most children with hemiparesis. Future investigations of serial sessions of tDCS in conjunction with rehabilitation in pediatric hemiparesis are indicated to explore the benefit of a synergistic approach to improving hand function.

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Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on an Individual’s Ability to Learn to Control a Brain-Computer Interface

McGill Journal of Medicine ◽

10.26443/mjm.v17i1.129 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Erika Renda ◽

Sarah Amirali Karmali ◽

Ivona Yordanova ◽

Shira Schwartz ◽

Yacine Mahdid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Imagery ◽

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Control Group ◽

Motor Impairments ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Electrical Brain Activity ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Experimental Group

Purpose: Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are systems which enable direct communication between a brain and an external device by translating electrical brain activity into meaningful output. This technology can be used by individuals with motor impairments to interact and communicate with their external environment. BCIs based upon manipulating the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) through motor imagery have lengthy learning periods, which present a significant barrier to using this technology. We hypothesize that this learning period will be significantly reduced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which temporarily augments cortical excitability.Methods: Participants were assigned into two groups - the experimental group, which received tDCS, and a control group, which received sham stimulation. Following tDCS, the participants used a SMR-based BCI to move a falling ball to hit targets that appeared on the left or right side of screen. The effect of tDCS was assessed by comparing the overall task accuracy and the SMR change during motor imagery between the two groups .Results: The experimental group was significantly more accurate in controlling the BCI than the control group (p = 0.021); however, there was no significant difference between groups in the SMR change upon motor imagery (p = 0.22). Conclusions. tDCS can be used to improve the performance of healthy individuals learning to use an SMR-based BCI.

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The Effect of Parietal and Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Bimanual Coordinated Adaptive Motor Learning

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803/a000254 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Atefeh Azarpaikan ◽

Hamid Reza Taherii Torbati ◽

Mehdi Sohrabi ◽

Reza Boostani ◽

Majid Ghoshuni

Keyword(s):

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Motor Performance ◽

Bimanual Coordination ◽

Test System ◽

Control Group ◽

Double Blind Study ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

The Right ◽

Experimental Group

Abstract. Many daily activities, such as typing, eating, playing the piano, and passing the ball in volleyball, require the proficient coordination of both hands. In this study, the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) on the acquisition, retention, and transfer of bimanual adaptive motor tasks were investigated. To this end, 64 volunteers ( Mage = 24.36 years; SD = 2.51; 16 females) participated in this double-blind study and were categorized randomly into 4 groups. During the pretest, posttest, 24-h and 48-h retention, and transfer tests, two forms of bimanual coordination (BC) of the Vienna test system were performed. Between the pretest and posttest, all participants were trained in a bimanual coordination adaptive task with concurrent brain stimulation (1.5 mA for 15 min) for two consecutive days. The first experimental group (parietal-stim) received atDCS over the right parietal cortex (P4), while the second experimental group (cerebellar-stim) received atDCS over the bilateral cerebellum (2.5 cm bilateral to the inion). The third group (sham) received a sham stimulation. Finally, the control group did not receive any stimulation at all (control). Repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVARM) results indicated that parietal tDCS affected motor performance in the posttest, while overall mean duration and overall error mean duration of movement decreased. The results also revealed a significant impact of cerebellar tDCS on the posttest, 24-h and 48-h retention, and transfer tests. The overall mean duration and overall error mean durations of movement in this group were significantly lower than those in the other groups. Accordingly, we found evidence that atDCS over the cerebellum leads to more improvement in motor performance and transfer in a bimanual coordination task than atDCS over the right parietal. Finally, these results point to the possibly beneficial application of atDCS for learning and recovery of bimanual motor skills, especially when subjects are faced with a new challenging situation.

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AN EVALUATION OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION (TDCS) IN THE REDUCTION OF OCCUPATIONAL BURNOUT SYNDROME IN NURSES

Acta Neuropsychologica ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.8147 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 169-185

Author(s):

Ewa Wilczek-Rużyczka ◽

Aleksandra Gawrońska ◽

Jolanta Góral-Półrola

Keyword(s):

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Burnout Syndrome ◽

Control Group ◽

Individual Psychotherapy ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Group A ◽

Group B ◽

Experimental Group

The aim of the study was to answer the question as to whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is more effective in reducing burnout syndrome in nurses than the commonly used individual psychotherapy. The study included 40 nurses from various health care facilities located in the Lesser Poland and Podkarpackie Voivodeship suffering from burnout syndrome. They were assigned to the experimental group while 20 to the control group. Two different therapy models were used: the experimental group (A) included 20 of the nurses treated with the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), four times a week for 8 weeks, in sessions that lasted initially 10, then 15, 20, 25 and finally 30 minutes and the control group (B) included 20 of the nurses treated with individual psychotherapy employed for 8 weeks, once a week for 30 minutes. To evaluate the results we used: screening with a clinical interview, the Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Beck Depression Inventory and a Polish adaptation of the Italian questionnaire created by Massimo Sentinello (LBQ). Treatment was provided. The transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) used in Group A is more effective in reducing many symptoms than is the case with individual psychotherapy. Comparing the intragroup effects, it was found that the tDCS employed in Group A significantly reduced the intensity of depressive symptoms among the surveyed nurses [F (1.38) = 57.62; p <0.001; η2 = 0.603] while the individual psychotherapy used in Group B failed to produce a statistically significant effect [F (1.38) = 1.794; p = 0.188; η2 = 0.045]. These include a reduction of depression, a reduction in chronic psychophysical exhaustion, vegetative problem reduction, and the improvement of nurse-patient relations. Neurotherapy with the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is more effective in reducing burnout syndrome than the commonly used individual psychotherapy. It also helps to return these nurses to full professional activity. The studies presented above recommend the use of new neurotechnologies in therapy as a result of their usefulness and non-invasive character.

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The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined with Visual Cueing Training on Motor Function, Balance, and Gait Ability of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina57111146 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (11) ◽

pp. 1146

Author(s):

Si-a Lee ◽

Myoung-Kwon Kim

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Motor Function ◽

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Control Group ◽

Visual Training ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Visual Cueing ◽

Experimental Group

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor function, balance and gait ability in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Materials and Methods: For the experiment, 30 patients with PD were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 15) and the control group (n = 15). Visual cueing training was commonly applied to both groups, the experimental group applied tDCS simultaneously with visual training, and the control group applied sham tDCS simultaneously with visual training. All subjects were pre-tested before the first intervention, post-tested after completing all 4 weeks of intervention, and followed-up tested 2 weeks after the completing intervention. The tests used the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) for motor function assessment, Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) for balance assessment, Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q) and the GAITRite system for gait ability assessment. Among the data obtained through the GAITRite system, gait velocity, cadence, step time, double support time, and stride length were analyzed. Results: The experimental group showed a significant decrease in UPDRS and a significant increase in FGA and cadence after the intervention. In addition, UPDRS and cadence showed a significant difference in the follow-up test compared to the pre-intervention test. Conclusions: This study suggests that the application of tDCS to the supplementary motor area of PD patients is useful as an adjuvant therapy for rehabilitation training of PD patients.

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A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL ON EFFECT OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION AND COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY ON HEADACHE RELATED DISABILITY AND IMPACT OF HEADACHE ON LIFE OF MIGRAINEURS

Romanian Journal of Neurology ◽

10.37897/rjn.2017.4.2 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 141-148

Author(s):

Manoj Malik ◽

◽

Shailendra Kumar Singh ◽

Narkeesh Arumugam ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Control Group ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Pharmacological Management ◽

Direct Current Stimulation

Introduction. Migraine is a public health problem of great impact on patients as well as society. Migraine prophylaxis requires daily administration of anti-migraine compounds whether or not migraine attack is occurring. All the drugs used for migraine prevention have potential and often relevant adverse effect or contraindications. The purpose of present study was to evaluate efficacy of non-pharmacological management techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS) on headache related disability and impact of headaches on life of patients suffering from migraine. Methodology. Sixty six subjects fulfilling the selection criteria were recruited for the study. They were randomly allocated into three groups. Group one received TDCS, Group 2 received CBT, and Group 3 (Control group) did not receive any treatment. Participants were asked to fi ll HDI and HIT 6 prior to start of intervention, post intervention and at follow up. Collected data was analyzed for statistical significance. Results. We found a significant decrease in HDI and HIT 6 scores in TDCS and CBT Group as compared to Control Group. This improvement was maintained during follow up period. Conclusion. TDCS and CBT can be effective in decreasing headache related disability and impact of headache on daily life in patients suffering from Migraine.

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Delayed Auditory Feedback and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for the Enhancement of Speech Fluency in Adults Who Stutter: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

JMIR Research Protocols ◽

10.2196/16646 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. e16646

Author(s):

Narges Moein ◽

Reyhane Mohamadi ◽

Reza Rostami ◽

Michael Nitsche ◽

Reza Zomorrodi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Auditory Feedback ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Delayed Auditory Feedback ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Speech Fluency ◽

Adults Who Stutter

Background Stuttering is a complex speech disorder that affects speech fluency. Recently, it has been shown that noninvasive brain stimulation may be useful to enhance the results of fluency interventions in adults who stutter. Delayed auditory feedback (DAF) is a method to enhance speech fluency in individuals who stutter. Adjunctive interventions are warranted to enhance the efficacy of this intervention. Objective Individuals who stutter have pathological activation patterns in the primary and secondary auditory areas. Consequently, in this study, we hypothesize that stimulation of these areas might be promising as an adjunctive method to fluency training via DAF to enhance speech therapy success in individuals with a stutter. We will systematically test this hypothesis in this study. Methods This study is designed as a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial. All participants will receive DAF. The intervention group will additionally receive real transcranial direct current stimulation, while the control group will be exposed to sham stimulation. The assignment of the participants to one of these groups will be randomized. Before starting the treatment program, 2 preintervention assessments will be conducted to determine the severity of stuttering. Once these assessments are completed, each subject will participate in 6 intervention sessions. Postintervention assessments will be carried out immediately and 1 week after the last intervention session. Subsequently, to explore the long-term stability of the treatment results, the outcome parameters will be obtained in follow-up assessments 6 weeks after the treatment. The primary outcome measurement—the percentage of stuttered syllables—will be calculated in pre-, post-, and follow-up assessments; the secondary outcomes will be the scores of the following questionnaires: the Stuttering Severity Instrument–Fourth Edition and the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering. Results This protocol was funded in 2019 and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Iran University of Medical Sciences in June 2019. Data collection started in October 2019. As of February 2020, we have enrolled 30 participants. We expect data analysis to be completed in April 2020, and results will be published in summer 2020. Conclusions We anticipate that this study will show an adjunctive effect of transcranial direct current stimulation, when combined with DAF, on stuttering. This should include not only a reduction in the percentage of stuttered syllables but also improved physical behavior and quality of life in adults who stutter. Trial Registration ClinicalTrial.gov NCT03990168; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03990168 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/16646

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Delayed Auditory Feedback and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for the Enhancement of Speech Fluency in Adults Who Stutter: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.16646 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Narges Moein ◽

Reyhane Mohamadi ◽

Reza Rostami ◽

Michael Nitsche ◽

Reza Zomorrodi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Direct Current ◽

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Auditory Feedback ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Delayed Auditory Feedback ◽

Direct Current Stimulation ◽

Speech Fluency ◽

Adults Who Stutter

BACKGROUND Stuttering is a complex speech disorder that affects speech fluency. Recently, it has been shown that noninvasive brain stimulation may be useful to enhance the results of fluency interventions in adults who stutter. Delayed auditory feedback (DAF) is a method to enhance speech fluency in individuals who stutter. Adjunctive interventions are warranted to enhance the efficacy of this intervention. OBJECTIVE Individuals who stutter have pathological activation patterns in the primary and secondary auditory areas. Consequently, in this study, we hypothesize that stimulation of these areas might be promising as an adjunctive method to fluency training via DAF to enhance speech therapy success in individuals with a stutter. We will systematically test this hypothesis in this study. METHODS This study is designed as a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial. All participants will receive DAF. The intervention group will additionally receive real transcranial direct current stimulation, while the control group will be exposed to sham stimulation. The assignment of the participants to one of these groups will be randomized. Before starting the treatment program, 2 preintervention assessments will be conducted to determine the severity of stuttering. Once these assessments are completed, each subject will participate in 6 intervention sessions. Postintervention assessments will be carried out immediately and 1 week after the last intervention session. Subsequently, to explore the long-term stability of the treatment results, the outcome parameters will be obtained in follow-up assessments 6 weeks after the treatment. The primary outcome measurement—the percentage of stuttered syllables—will be calculated in pre-, post-, and follow-up assessments; the secondary outcomes will be the scores of the following questionnaires: the Stuttering Severity Instrument–Fourth Edition and the Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering. RESULTS This protocol was funded in 2019 and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Iran University of Medical Sciences in June 2019. Data collection started in October 2019. As of February 2020, we have enrolled 30 participants. We expect data analysis to be completed in April 2020, and results will be published in summer 2020. CONCLUSIONS We anticipate that this study will show an adjunctive effect of transcranial direct current stimulation, when combined with DAF, on stuttering. This should include not only a reduction in the percentage of stuttered syllables but also improved physical behavior and quality of life in adults who stutter. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrial.gov NCT03990168; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03990168 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/16646

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