Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: The Effect of Additional Core Stability Exercises on Improving Dynamic Sitting Balance, Trunk Control and Functional Rehabilitation for Subacute Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Brief Summary: This study assess the effectiveness of core stability exercises performed in subacute phase of stroke. Half of participants will receive conventional physiotherapy, while the other half will receive core stability exercises and core stability exercises plus transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Clinical diagnosis of stroke recorded in the health record;
* Age ≥ 18 years;
* Living at home for at least 3 months;
* Ability to walk a minimum of 10 metres with or without walking aids without assistance from another person;
* Ability to follow verbal instructions or demonstrations of the exercises;
* Ability to speak and read English; and
* Willingness to obtain medical clearance from a healthcare provider and sign a liability waiver.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Self-reported involvement in another formal exercise or rehabilitation program;
* Conditions or symptoms preventing participation in exercise (e.g., unstable cardiovascular disease, significant joint pain);
* Cognitive or behavioural deficits that would prevent cooperation within a group;
* Self-reported ability to walk more than 20 minutes without a seated rest; and
* Self-reported ability to manage environmental barriers (curbs, ramps, and stairs) with relative ease.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke onset 3 - 9 weeks before the recruiting, confirmed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
* Moderate to severe motor impairment of an upper limb, defined as a score between 7 - 42 on the Upper Limb Subscale of Fugl Meyer Assessment of Sensorimotor Recovery after stroke.
* Ability to provide written informed consent (patient ou legal representative)
* Ability to comply with the schedule of interventions and evaluations in the protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe spasticity at the paretic elbow, wrist or fingers, defined as a score of \> 3 on the Modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale.
* Upper limb plegia
* Uncontrolled medical problems such as end-stage cancer or renal disease
* Pregnancy
* Seizures, except for a single seizure during the first week post stroke
* Pacemakers
* Other neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease
* Psychiatric illness including severe depression
* Aphasia ou severe cognitive deficits that compromise comprehension of the experimental protocol or ability to provide consent.
* Hemineglect
* Drugs that interfere on cortical excitability, except for antidepressants
* Cerebellar lesions
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* First ever stroke same and less than 30 days (diagnostic criteria according to the World Health Organization definition; corresponding to ICD-9 code 434) weather cortical or subcortical, and ischemic or haemorrhagic.
* Unilateral localization of the stroke verified by computed tomography (CT).
* More or equal than18 years.
* Ability to understand and execute simple instructions.
* Spanish Version of Trunk Impairment Scale.2.0 less than10 points.
* National institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score \> 4 points.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Rankin scale more or equal than 2 points before stroke.
* Orthopaedic and other neurological disorders that hamper sitting balance.
* Relevant psychiatric disorders that may prevent from following instructions.
* Other treatments that could influence the effects of the interventions.
* Contraindication to physical activity (e.g., heart failure).
* Using cardiac pacemakers.
* Moderate to severe cognitive impairments as indicated by Minimental test score \< 24 points.
* Patients with haemorrhagic stroke that have undergone surgery.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Stroke survivors \> 3 months from most recent unilateral, stroke based on clinically or experimentally obtained MRI brain scans and behavioral evidence of stroke (e.g., risk factors, hemiplegia, unilateral sensory impairment, or localized higher cortical dysfunction) by report or in the medical record.
* Age: \>21 years of age.
* Complete NIH Stroke Scale.
* Sufficient endurance, motor ability and balance to ambulate at least 10 meters continuously with moderate or less assistance.
* Demonstrate gait impairment during ambulation such that gait instability or inefficient gait patterns \[gait pattern manifesting "dragging" or "catching" of the affected toes during swing phase of gait, or use of compensatory strategies such as circumducting the affected limb, vaulting with the unaffected limb or hiking the affected hip to clear the toes\] are exhibited.
* Pass the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Adult Safety Screen (TASS) except for items related specifically to stroke and the treatment for stroke.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Edema, skin breakdown, absent sensation of the affected lower limb which interferes with the peroneal nerve stimulator.
* History of potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia, supraventricular tachycardia, and rapid ventricular response atrial fibrillation with hemodynamic instability.
* Demand pacemakers or any other implanted electronic systems.
* Pregnant women, uncontrolled seizure disorder, Parkinson's Disease, Spinal cord injury, Traumatic brain injury with evidence of motor weakness, Multiple sclerosis.
* Documented episode in the medical record of a seizure occurring 1 month or more post stroke for which the patient received consultation or treatment for said seizures. Seizures occurring within the first month following a stroke are not exclusionary unless followed by another seizure.
* Fixed ankle plantar flexor contracture, peroneal nerve injury at the fibular head as the cause of foot-drop.
* History of dementia, severely impaired cognition, communication or comprehension deficits.
* Presence of severe or frequent headaches
* History of Botulinum toxin (Botox) injection to either of the lower extremities within the 3 month period preceding study entry.
* Have other medical conditions or are taking medications that compromise ambulation or balance.
* Failure to meet established screening criteria for TMS or tDCS (i.e., TASS)
* Principal Investigator's or Medical Monitor's discretion not to include a participant.

Additional Exclusion Criteria for MRI Scan

* Claustrophobia, or the inability to lie still in a confined space
* Major medical disorders (e.g., HIV, cancer)
* Medications which may affect image quality (e.g., water pills)
* Magnetic metallic implants (such as screws, pins, shrapnel remnants, aneurysm clips, artificial heart valves, inner ear (cochlear) implants, artificial joints, and vascular stents), as these may heat, pull, or twist in the strong magnetic field of the MRI scanner
* Non-removable dental implants, such as braces or permanent retainers, as these will distort the MRI images we collect (note: filings, crowns, and silver or gold teeth are OK)
* Permanent makeup or tattoos with metallic dyes
* A positive pregnancy test (for females), since the effect of strong magnetic fields on the developing fetus remains unknown and inconclusive. (We will conduct a pregnancy test for all female participants on the day of the MRI scan.)
* Psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia)
* Any other condition that the investigator believes might put the participant at risk

Answer: C