A single session of bihemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation does not improve quadriceps muscle spasticity in people with chronic stroke

Cerebral lesions following stroke cause an interhemispheric competition in the brain where the excitability of the affected hemisphere decreases and that of the unaffected hemisphere increases. This leads to a reduction of inhibitory control of spinal networks by the corticospinal tract of the affected side which in turn lead to the phenomenon of spasticity [1]. It has been found that i) bihemispheric-transcranial direct current stimulation (bi-tDCS) may reduce the interhemispheric imbalance in chronic stroke people (CSP) [2], and ii) anodal-tDCS applied over the affected leg motor cortex can alter the excitability of some spinal circuits involved in spasticity [3].

Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - June 27, 2019 Category: Neurology Authors: Thomas Cattagni, Maxime Geiger, Anthony Supiot, Rapha ël Zory, Didier Pradon, Nicolas Roche Source Type: research