Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation

Sixty post-stroke patients were randomly assigned to receive 15 sessions of the usual rehabilitation programme with or without tACS. The NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the mean blood flow velocity (MFV) and Gosling pulsatility index (PI) captured for the middle, anterior, and posterior cerebral artery were the outcome measures.

Fifteen 30-minute sessions of tACS appear to be effective for enhancing post-stroke patients' neurological function. The haemodynamic measures taken indicated that the regaining of function among the patients was largely attributed to a lowering of the vascular autoregulatory activity together with an increase in blood flow velocity at the middle cerebral artery. Future studies should explore the underlying mechanisms mediating the positive effects brought about by tACS in post-stroke rehabilitation.

Inclusion criteria

• diagnosed as first onset intracerebral haemorrhage or infarction (according to ICD-10 I61.0-I61.6 or I63.3-I63.6, with or without I69, i.e.: sequelae of cerebrovascular disease)
• between 15 and 60 days after the onset
• right handedness
• no previous neurological or psychiatric disorders
• positive transtemporal windows for bilateral middle, anterior, and posterior cerebral arteries insonation (according to the standards set by the Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonographic Device (TCD))
• NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores between 14 and 24
• not receiving rehabilitation before admission

Exclusion criteria

• medical comorbidity preventing the patient undergoing the intervention
• preceding epileptic fits
• having metallic implants in the brain or a pacemaker
• history of surgery to the brain