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Upper Limb tDCS in Chronic Stroke Patients (NOURISH)

NCT05608525 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 11

Last updated 2026-02-23

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study is a randomized double-blinded trial investigating the effect of Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) on upper limb motor function rehabilitation in chronic stroke patients.

51 subjects will be recruited from National University Hospital (NUH) and be randomized to receive one of the followings:

* Group 1 will receive 1 mA anodal tDCS stimulation to the ipsilesional M1 of cortical representation of the affected upper limb;
* Group 2 to receive 1mA anodal tDCS to the contralesional premotor cortex;
* Group 3 to receive sham tDCS stimulation with anode placed over the scalp area corresponding to ipsilesional M1.

tDCS will be performed once a day together with standardized occupational therapy (GRASP) for 20 sessions within 30 days. Group 1 and Group 2 will receive tDCS for 20 minutes during each session, while Group 3 only receives the current stimulation for 20 seconds. GRASP will be performed daily together with tDCS, either concurrently with or immediately after tDCS stimulation.

The outcome measures will be measured at baseline, after intervention and 1 month after intervention, including:

1. TMS measurement of corticospinal excitability;
2. functional MRI scan;
3. High density EEG (HD-EEG) evaluation;
4. Clinical measures on upper limb motor function;
5. Cognitive tests.

Conditions

Interventions

DEVICE

transcranial current stimulation

A trained research staff or physician will perform tDCS to the subject. Direct current will be delivered by a battery-operated, constant current stimulator, through 2 rubber electrodes embedded in a pair of saline-soaked sponge bag. Stimulation intensity will be ramped up to 1 mA over 30 seconds and maintain at 1 mA for 20 minutes, and then ramped down to 0 mA over 30 seconds.

BEHAVIORAL

GRASP

A standardized occupational therapy- GRASP will be performed daily together with tDCS over the period between the Pre Assessment and the Post Assessment. GRASP exercise will be administered concurrently with or immediately after tDCS stimulation. GRASP is a self-directed arm and hand exercise program for which is supervised by a therapist, but done independently by the participant (and with their family if possible). GRASP has been shown to improve arm and hand function and strength in stroke patients in community \[22-27\]. The versions of the program- Home GRASP will be used. All occupational tasks will be selected from the GRASP task pool and be progressed according to the GRASP protocol (https://neurorehab.med.ubc.ca/grasp). Each GRASP session will take about 1 hour. A total of 20 GRASP sessions will be administered.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National University Hospital, Singapore

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Effie Chew, MBBS · National University Hospital, Singapore

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
21 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-02-16
Primary Completion
2025-07-31
Completion
2025-07-31

Countries

  • Singapore

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05608525 on ClinicalTrials.gov