Academic Journal
Blinding in electric current stimulation in subacute neglect patients with current densities of 0.8 A/m2: a cross-over pilot study
| Title: | Blinding in electric current stimulation in subacute neglect patients with current densities of 0.8 A/m2: a cross-over pilot study |
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| Authors: | Anna Gorsler, Ulrike Grittner, Nadine Külzow, Torsten Rackoll |
| Source: | BMC Research Notes, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-7 (2021) |
| Publisher Information: | BMC, 2021. |
| Publication Year: | 2021 |
| Collection: | LCC:Medicine LCC:Biology (General) LCC:Science (General) |
| Subject Terms: | Visuospatial neglect, Stroke, Transcranial direct current stimulation, Blinding procedure, Pilot study, Medicine, Biology (General), QH301-705.5, Science (General), Q1-390 |
| More Details: | Abstract Objective Neglect after stroke is a disabling disorder and its rehabilitation is a major challenge. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) seems to be a promising adjuvant technique to improve standard care neglect therapy. Since electric fields are influenced by age-related factors, higher current densities are probably needed for effective treatment in aged stroke patients. Validation of treatment efficacy requires sham-controlled experiments, but increased current densities might comprise blinding. Therefore, a pilot study was conducted to test sham adequacy when using current density of 0.8 A/m2. Whether especially neglect patients who mainly suffer from perceptual and attentional deficits are able to differentiate beyond chance active from sham tDCS was investigated in a randomized cross-over design (active/sham stimulation) in 12 early subacute patients with left-sided hemineglect. Stimulation (0.8 A/m2) was performed simultaneous to standard care neglect therapy. Results Odds ratio of correct guessing an atDCS condition compared to wrongly judge an atDCS condition as sham was 10.00 (95%CI 0.65–154.40, p = 0.099). However, given the small sample size and high OR, although likely somewhat overestimated, results require careful interpretation and blinding success in neglect studies with current densities of 0.8 A/m2 should be further confirmed. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 1756-0500 |
| Relation: | https://doaj.org/toc/1756-0500 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s13104-020-05421-7 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/e5edc04d2b7c473f9465e4e4b0afe1f7 |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.5edc04d2b7c473f9465e4e4b0afe1f7 |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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| ISSN: | 17560500 |
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| DOI: | 10.1186/s13104-020-05421-7 |
| Published in: | BMC Research Notes |
| Language: | English |