Effects of combining two techniques of non-invasive brain stimulation in subacute stroke patients: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: Strokes have recently become a leading cause of disability among Thai people. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) seems to give promising results in stroke recovery when combined with standard rehabilitation programs. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the combined effect of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the non-lesional primary motor cortex on upper limb motor recovery in patients with subacute stroke. No reports of a combination of these two techniques of NIBS were found in the relevant literature. METHODS: This pilot study was a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial of ten patients with subacute stroke admitted to the Rehabilitation Medicine Inpatient Unit, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai University. They were randomized into two groups: five in an active and five in a sham intervention group. Fugl-Meyer’s upper extremity motor score (FMA-UE) and Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) were used to assess motor recovery at baseline, immediately, and 1 week after stimulation. RESULTS: A two-way repeated ANOVA (mixed design) showed a significant improvement in FMA-UE scores in the active intervention group both immediately and 1 week after stimulation in comparison to the baseline, [time, F (2, 16) = 27.44, p < 0.001, time x group interaction, F (2, 16) = 13.29, p < 0.001]. Despite no statistical significance, a trend toward higher WMFT scores was shown in the active intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: A single session of low-frequency rTMS and cathodal tDCS over the non-lesional primary motor cortex may enhance upper limb motor recovery in patients with subacute stroke. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-022-02607-3.