Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Neuromuscular Joint Facilitation on Upper Limb Motor Disorders for Stroke Patients.

ABSTRACT

Context Approximately 1.5- to 2-million new patients suffer from stroke annually in China. 60% of patients suffering from stroke will sustain different degrees of upper limb dysfunction at six months after onset. Recovery of upper limb function after stroke is of great significance in improving patients' quality of life. Objective: The study intended to explore the rehabilitative the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with neuromuscular joint therapy on the rehabilitation of patients with upper-limb motor disorders after strokes to provide new ideas for rehabilitative treatment. Design: The study was a paired control test. Setting: The study took place in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Heping Hospital of Changzhi Medical College in Changzhi, Shanxi, China. Participants: Participants were 80 stroke patients with upper-limb motor disorders who were treated at the hospital between January 2020 and December 2020. Intervention According to the natural grouping method, the research team divided participants into an intervention group (n = 42) and a control group (n = 38). The control group received transcranial direct-current stimulation, and the intervention group received transcranial direct-current stimulation combined with neuromuscular joint therapy. Outcome Measures: The measurements included the scores on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scale, the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), activities of daily living (ADL), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) as well as the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The team also measured the maximum isometric torque of flexion and extension of the elbow joint. The research team compared the differences in the scores between the groups for all variables. Results: Postintervention, the FMA, ARAT, and ADL scores, the torques of elbow flexion and extension maximum isometric contraction, the amplitude, and the serum BDNF, NGF, and SOD levels were significantly higher in the intervention group than those in the control group, while the NIHSS score and the incubation period of evoked potential were significantly lower than those in the control group. Conclusions: Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with the neuromuscular joint method demonstrated good rehabilitative effects on upper-limb movement disorders for stroke patients and significantly improved their upper-limb function and promoted recovery of nerve functions.