Multisite High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting Sensorimotor Network Navigated by Task-based fMRI to Facilitate Motor Activation and Reorganization for Stroke
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been applied to facilitate cortical excitability in stroke populations, as increasing evidence suggests that clinical recovery from stroke is attributed to neuroplastic reorganization. However, recovery from stroke following this kind of non-invasive neuromodulation remains divergent across stroke patients due to variations in their etiologies, lesion profiles and post-stroke duration. A novel multisite high definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) in healthy people showed that such network-targeted stimulation could enhance motor excitability beyond conventional stimulation which targeting only one region. The electrode placements could be determined by the montage optimization, which targets individual motor network activation navigated by task-based fMRI using computation algorithms. By targeting motor network, the new multisite electrode montage may provide a potential to facilitate better cortical activation than conventional tDCS montage.
• first-ever stroke, the duration after stroke exceeds 12 months;
• mild to moderate upper extremity motor function deficit, determined by the Fugl-meyer assessment of upper extremity (FMAUE) scores between 15 and 53;
• could voluntarily perform grasping hand movement.
• sufficient cognitive function to follow the assessment and experiment instructions.