This study will evaluate the feasibility of dual tDCS to improve arm motor function in chronic stroke patients. In addition it will collect pilot data on the blood biomarkers associated with treatment effect.
Name: dual transcranial direct current stimulation
Description: any adverse events that might be related to study procedures
Measure: Adverse Events Time: enrollment to 3 month followupDescription: Upper extremity motor impairment scale. Scale ranges from 0 (worst, can not perform any tasks) to 66 ( performs all tasks fully).
Measure: Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer Score Time: change between before and 3 months follow-upDescription: Timed performance of 15 functional upper extremity tasks, 0-120 seconds, and 2 strength measures. WMFT time measurements are calculated as the arithmetic mean of rate of performance, where we calculate "how many times would a person have completed the task, had he or she been performing it continuously for 60 seconds". Therefore the results have a minimum score of 0, where the subject could not perform any of the tasks, and no pre-defined maximum score, the higher the rate score the faster the subject was able to perform the tasks. ( see Hodics et al.,2013)
Measure: Wolf Motor Function Test Time: change between before and at 3 months follow-upAllocation: Randomized
Parallel Assignment
There is one SNP
Since in animal models VEGF and BDNF have a complimentary role, VEGF polymorphism may explain some of the variability in strength of association between BDNF polymorphism Val66Met and recovery. --- Val66Met ---