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Combined Functional Electrical and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Foot Drop: A Case Series

Status: Recruiting

Location: See location...

Intervention Type: Behavioral

Study Type: Interventional

Study Phase: Not Applicable

SUMMARY

This study aims to determine if combining the treatments of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) will better help persons with stroke who have difficulty lifting their toes. As part of the treatment, subjects will receive electrical stimulation through pads on their scalp (similar to what one may have received in physical therapy previously to an arm or leg). This protocol is called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Subjects will also receive electrical stimulation through pads on their leg. This is called functional electrical stimulation (FES). During treatment sessions, subjects will also perform leg activity/strengthening exercises. The aim is to evaluate whether combining FES and tDCS within a PT session would reduce foot drop as indicated by improvements in the amount of toe clearance and ankle motion persons with stroke.

Eligibility

Participation Requirements

Sex: All

Minimum Age: 18

Healthy Volunteers: f

View:

• 18 years or older

• Have had 1 or more strokes (\> 6 months) affecting ankle dorsiflexion.

• Discharged from all rehabilitative services.

• Can walk independently with/without using an assistive device such as a cane without an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) for 15 minutes.

Locations

United States

Pennsylvania

Saint Joseph's University

RECRUITING

Philadelphia

Contact Information

Primary

Greg Thielman, EdD

gthielman@sju.edu

8562667863

Backup

Sylvester Carter, PhD

scarter1@sju.edu

215 596 7087

Time Frame

Start Date: 2026-06-01

Estimated Completion Date: 2029-08-30

Participants

Target number of participants: 30

Treatments

Experimental: FES and tDCS

The tDCS was applied as a bilateral montage with the anode of the tDCS device (ActivaDose II, ActivaTek Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, USA) applied to the involved hemisphere and the cathode over the unaffected hemisphere. The dosage of the tDCS device was one mA for 60 minutes for the duration of the gait training delivered via a pair of sponge electrodes moistened with 0.9% NaCl solution. The exact locations for the electrode placements were based on a 20-point electrode system, in which we chose two points that targeted the motor cortex region corresponding to the left lower limb. Treatments were performed twice weekly over the 8 weeks.~The FES was administered to the tibialis anterior muscle of the impaired lower extremity with one electrode over the common peroneal nerve at the head of the fibula and the other over a motor point in the middle of the muscle belly of the tibialis anterior muscle.

Active_comparator: FES with tDCS subthreshold

The tDCS was applied as a bilateral montage with the anode of the tDCS device (ActivaDose II, ActivaTek Inc., Salt Lake City, UT, USA) applied to the involved hemisphere and the cathode over the unaffected hemisphere. The dosage of the tDCS device was set initially at one mA for 60 minutes and then for the duration of the gait training the machine was turned to subthreshold levels, delivered via a pair of sponge electrodes moistened with 0.9% NaCl solution. The exact locations for the electrode placements were based on a 20-point electrode system, in which we chose two points that targeted the motor cortex region corresponding to the left lower limb. Treatments were performed twice weekly over the 8 weeks.~The FES was administered to the tibialis anterior muscle of the impaired lower extremity with one electrode over the common peroneal nerve at the head of the fibula and the other over a motor point in the middle of the muscle belly of the tibialis anterior muscle.

Related Therapeutic Areas

Foot Drop

Stroke

Mononeuritis Multiplex

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