Transcutaneous Spinal and Peripheral Stimulation and Wrist Robotic Therapy for Patients With Spastic Stroke

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Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the U.S. Post-stroke impairment often presents as weakness of the upper and lower limbs and spasticity (muscle and joint stiffness and hyperactivity). This condition impacts motor recovery and renders...

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the U.S. Post-stroke impairment often presents as weakness of the upper and lower limbs and spasticity (muscle and joint stiffness and hyperactivity). This condition impacts motor recovery and renders the individual dependent for most activities of daily living. Even with aggressive standard rehabilitation, 65 percent of patients cannot incorporate their affected hand in functional activities six months after stroke. Investigators have previously demonstrated that robotic therapy provides significant benefits to upper limb motor recovery after stroke. The treatment has been acknowledged by the American Heart Association as an effective form of stroke rehabilitation. Neuromodulation techniques such as noninvasive brain, nerve and spinal direct current stimulation have been proposed as promising safe tools for augmenting motor learning and function after brain injury. Ahmed (2014) demonstrated in a pre-clinical mouse model that the use of combined trans-spinal and peripheral direct current stimulation (tsDCS + pDCS) can modulate muscle tone and potentially improve motor function. Preliminary clinical trial of safety and feasibility (Paget-blanc et al. 2019) suggests that five sessions of transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation paired with transcutaneous peripheral direct current stimulation (Doublestim™/ MyoRegulator™ System - PathMaker Neurosystems Inc.) temporarily reduce spasticity features such as catch response to slow and fast joint stretch and overall stiffness of the affected extremity with optimal reductions in spasticity occurring 2-3 weeks post stimulation intervention. Unexpectedly, participants also experienced significant improvements in motor function, suggestive that tsDCS+ pDCS may provide a therapeutic window to further augment motor outcomes with robotic wrist training. The investigators propose a study to evaluate whether two doses of five consecutive days of paired spinal and peripheral noninvasive stimulation combined with six weeks of intensive (three times a week) robotic therapy will significantly alter the clinical and objective measures of spasticity and motor function of the wrist in participants with upper extremity spasticity after stroke.

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