Investigating the Feasibility of Combining Virtual Reality and Bilateral Transcranial Direct Stimulation to Improve Upper Limb Recovery in Patients With Stroke
Following a stroke, the function of the distal upper limb, especially hand and finger movements, is often severely compromised, significantly restricting the ability to carry out daily activities. It is estimated that 55-75% of stroke survivors suffer from motor dysfunction, with upper limb impairments affecting up to 85% of them (Tang et al., 2024). Current rehabilitation approaches, while beneficial, often produce limited gains in hand function, particularly in patients with chronic stroke. Virtual reality (VR) training has emerged as a promising tool in neurorehabilitation, providing repetitive, task-specific, and engaging practice environments that can promote motor learning (Cameirão et al., 2012). tDCS has also shown potential to enhance motor recovery when combined with motor practice (Kang et al., 2016). To date, no studies have directly compared the effectiveness of Bi-tDCS with VR for improving upper limb function after stroke.
• 2- Patients with a unilateral cerebral infarction or haemorrhage who are at least three months post-stroke (Muller et al., 2021).
• 3- Adequate mental status confirmed by an MMSE (Arabic version) should be ≥24 (Kim, 2021). ensuring the ability to comprehend and follow instructions.
• 4- Modified Ashworth scale score \< 3 (Ögün et al., 2019). 5- Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) scores between 29 and 58, indicating moderate impairments (Woytowicz et al., 2017).
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