Mechanized Gait Trainer Combine Transcranial Galvanic Stimulation (tDCS) in Chronic Stroke
Condition: Hemiparesis; Cerebrovascular Disorders
MeSH terms: Paresis; Cerebrovascular Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Transcranial galvanic stimulation (tDCS), seems to promote motor recovery after stroke by
      stimulating (anodal) or inhibiting (cathodal) neural circuits in the brain. In the treatment
      of severe lower limb paresis after stroke, the GangTrainer GT1 (GT) proved to be effective,
      but nevertheless only a few patients could use their affect lower limb functionally in daily
      life on deambulation after robot training. Therefore the present study intends to combine
      both approaches, tDCS + GT, apply at the same time every day for two weeks in order to
      improve the effectiveness of GangTrainer therapy in the gait rehabilitation.
    

Detailed description: 
      Transcranial galvanic stimulation (tDCS), seems to promote motor recovery after stroke by
      stimulating (anodal) or inhibiting (cathodal) neural circuits in the brain. In the treatment
      of severe lower limb paresis after stroke, the GangTrainer GT1 (GT) proved to be effective.
      Therefore the present study intends to combine both approaches, tDCS + GT, apply at the same
      time every day for two weeks in order to improve the effectiveness of GangTrainer therapy in
      the gait rehabilitation. The rehabilitation programme are compose 3 kinds of locomotor
      training interventions (experimental group, control group 1 and control group 2).

      During intervention experimental group, patients receive a total of 10 treatments of
      repetitive locomotor training with electromechanical gait device (duration 30 min) + tDCS
      (duration first 7 min) with the anodal electrode is place over the presumed lower limb area
      of the lesioned hemisphere, and the cathodal electrode is place above the controlateral
      orbital. The anodal stimulation is expected to facilitate the activity of the lower limb
      motor area side directly, while the cathodal stimulation of the non-lesioned hemisphere is
      expected to facilitate the lesioned side indirectly by decreasing inhibitory inputs. The
      control group 1 receive a total of 10 treatments with only GT (duration 30 min) with
      sham-stimulation, and the control group 2 receive a total of 10 treatments with convectional
      physiotherapy
    

Intervention name(s): GangTrainer and tDCS; control group1; Control group2
Intervention type(s): Device; Device; Other
Intervention description(s): The experimental group patients receive a total of 10 treatments of repetitive locomotor training with electromechanical gait device (duration 30 min) + tDCS (duration first 7 min) with the anodal electrode is place over the presumed lower limb area of the lesioned hemisphere, and the cathodal electrode is place above the controlateral orbital.; The control group 1 receive a total of 10 treatments with only GT (duration 30 min) with sham-stimulation.; The control group 2 receive a total of 10 treatments with convectional physiotherapy.
Other intervention name(s): GangTrainerGT1; convectional physiotherapy
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: GangTrainer; Gait Rehabilitation; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Robot assisted; Transcranial direct current stimulation