02 December 2022 : Review article
Narrative Review of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Stroke Rehabilitation
Qian-ru Shen1AEF, Meng-ting Hu1EF, Wei Feng1A, Kun-Peng Li1AEFG*, Wu Wang
2AG
DOI: 10.12659/MSM.938298
Med Sci Monit 2022; 28:e938298
Table 5 Summary of clinical studies on post-stroke patients using tVNS.
| Study | No. | Targeted lesion | Study design | Intervention | Frequency | Intensity | Schedule | Follow-up | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capone et al, 2017 []91 | 14 (7) | Chronic ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke | RCT | tVNS combined with robots vs sham tVNS with robots | 20 Hz | Above the detection threshold and below the pain threshold | 60 min for 10 d | N/A | FMA positive |
| Redgrave et al, 2018 []92 | 13 | More than 3 months postischemic stroke with residual upper limb dysfunction | CT | tVNS with concurrent upper limb repetitive task practice | 25 Hz | Maximum tolerated intensity | >300 repetitions, 3 times a week for 6 weeks | N/A | FMA-UL positive |
| Baig et al, 2019 []93 | 12 | Ischemic stroke more than 3 months prior and moderate-severe upper limb weakness | CT | functional arm movement with taVNS | 25 Hz | Maximally tolerated by the participant | 300 repetitions for 6 weeks | N/A | FMA-UL for proprioception and light touch sensation positiive |
| Wu et al, 2020 []94 | 21 (10) | Subacute Ischemic Stroke | RCT | taVNS vs sham | 20 Hz | Individually selected by the patients according to tolerance | 30 min for 15 consecutive days | 4 weeks and 12 weeks | FMA-UL, WMFT, FIM, and Brunnstrom scores positive |
| Chang et al, 2021 []95 | 36 | Chronic, moderate-severe upper limb hemiparesis | CT | Shoulder/elbow robotic therapy aired with active taVNS or sham taVNS | 30 Hz | Below the patient’s reported pain threshold, with amplitudes ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 mA | 1 h, 3×/week for 3 weeks | 3 mo | FMA-UL, MRC, Wolf FAS, MTS positive |
| Li et al, 2022 []96 | 60 | Acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke | RCT | taVNS vs sham | 20 Hz | According to the tolerance of each patient, and the average current intensity was 1.71±0.5 mA | 20 min for 20 d | 1 year | WMFT, FMA, HANDS, SIS positive |
| FMA-UL – Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Limb; WMFT – Wolf motor function test; FIM – Functional Independence Measurement; MRC – Medical Research Council Motor Power Scale; Wolf FAS – Wolf Functional Ability Scale; MTS – Modified Tardieu Scale; HANDS – Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; SIS – the Stroke Impact Scale. | |||||||||