Home-based Post-stroke Fatigue Treatment Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Summary
The investigators hypothesize that delivery of anodal tDCS to the left frontal head region will reduce fatigue severity following stroke.
Description
The purpose of this study is to investigate transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a home-based non-pharmacologic intervention for post-stroke fatigue (PSF). Investigators will perform a double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized clinical trial with 24 subjects; 12 will receive sham stimulation and 12 will receive real stimulation. After a baseline assessment, the tDCS device will be applied for 20 minutes, once daily over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), for a total of two weeks. Follow-up assessments with outcome metrics will be completed after the seventh and fourt…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female patients aged \>18 years * Greater than 3 months from first hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke (subacute to chronic), confirmed through neuroimaging (CT or MRI). * Fatigue severity score average \>4 (severe fatigue) * Willingness to remain stable on pharmacologic therapy through the duration of the study. * Availability of a caregiver, family member, or friend to be present during the administration of the tDCS intervention. Exclusion Criteria: * Metal in the head (except mouth) or implanted cranial or thoracic devices (i.e. pacemaker, DBS stimulator) * Hist…
Interventions
- DeviceReal Soterix Mini-CT tDCS stimulator
Real transcranial electrical stimulation at 2mA intensity will be delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 20 minutes/day, 14-day duration.
- DeviceSham Soterix Mini-CT tDCS stimulator
Sham stimulation to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 20 minutes/day, 14-day duration. The device will ramp up and ramp down current delivery from 0 mA -2 mA - 0 mA over 30 seconds at the start of the 20-minute protocol with no active stimulation until the end of the 20 minutes, at which time the 30-second ramp up/ramp down will be repeated.
Location
- Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 E. 68th St, Baker Pavilion, F-2106New York, New York