Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive procedure of cortical stimulation, where weak direct currents polarize target brain regions. Recently, tDCS has been used to modulate human cognitive and motor function in both healthy volunteers and neurological patients. Here, we firstly demonstrated that tDCS can increase the force production of the paretic quadriceps in stroke patients. The result indicates that tDCS might augment the rehabilitation of stroke patients when combined with lower extremity strengthening or functional training.
Tanaka S, Takeda K, Otaka Y, Kita K, Osu R, Honda M, Sadato N, Hanakawa T and Watanabe K.
Single session of transcranial direct-current stimulation transiently increases knee extensor force in patients with hemiparetic stroke. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 25(6), 565-569 (2011).
