Behavioral and Neural Correlates of Post-Stroke Fatigue

Launched by TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY · Oct 12, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying the effects of a treatment called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on fatigue that many people experience after having a stroke. The researchers want to see how this treatment affects behavior and brain activity over five consecutive days. They will look at how fatigue changes before the treatment starts, right after it ends, and one month later. Participants will either receive the actual treatment or a placebo (which looks like the real treatment but has no effect) to compare the results.

To be eligible for this trial, participants need to be at least 18 years old and have had a stroke at least three months ago. They should experience moderate fatigue and have some ability to move their more affected arm. Participants will follow simple commands and will not be eligible if they have certain medical issues or are taking specific medications that could affect fatigue. This trial is currently recruiting participants, and it aims to better understand how to help those dealing with post-stroke fatigue.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. be at least 18 years old;
• • 2. have a history of unilateral stroke ≥ 3 months prior to enrollment to ensure stability;
• • 3. have an average score ≥ 4 on FSS;
• • 4. have some movement capability in the more affected arm (upper extremity Fugl-Meyer(FMUE) ≥ 28) to ensure they can perform the reaching task;
• • 5. be able to follow three-step commands.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. acute medical problems;
• • 2. the presence of any contraindication to tDCS, MRI or TMS;
• • 3. the presence of significant depression (score \> 10 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9);
• • 4. significant pain in the upper extremities that interferes with movements; or
• • 5. use of medication which may affect the level of fatigue.