Could transcranial stimulation reduce brain damage after a stroke？
The therapeutic potential of high-definition cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (HD C-tDCS) for acute ischemic stroke.
Acute ischemic stroke is characterized by a clot obstructing blood flow to a particular region of the brain, and it is one of the most prevalent forms of stroke, accounting for approximately 87% of cases.
This method involves placing a series of electrodes on the cranium in order to deliver a mild inhibitory electrical current to the region of the brain affected by decreased blood flow.
Although this noninvasive stimulation method has been used to treat specific neurological and psychiatric disorders in the past, the researchers observed that the electrical currents appeared to affect cerebral blood flow.
On the basis of this observation, the researchers hypothesized that HD C-tDCS could potentially enhance blood flow in stroke-affected brain regions and protect vulnerable brain tissue, known as the penumbra, from irreversible injury.
Patients who received HD C-tDCS had a median rescue of 66% of the penumbra, which refers to the compromised brain tissue surrounding the stroke's core, within the first 24 hours after the stroke.
Ischemic stroke is a significant global health burden, and only two interventions are presently approved for use in routine clinical practice: thrombolytics and endovascular recanalization.
It is believed that the neuroprotective effect is a result of the current's inhibitory effect on post-stroke excitotoxic, inflammatory, and apoptotic pathways and its vasodilatory influence on collateral perfusion.
We will be able to offer cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation to patients with ischemic stroke who are currently ineligible for thrombolytic and/or endovascular therapy, provided that future clinical trials demonstrate the stimulation's safety and efficacy in humans.
This pilot study provides preliminary data to inform the design of a larger clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with ischemic stroke.
High definition cathodal direct current stimulation has the potential to preserve the viability of brain tissue in stroke patients awaiting clot removal and in those who do not qualify.
資料來源：Patricia Weiser (2023), “Could transcranial stimulation reduce brain damage after a stroke?”. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/could-transcranial-stimulation-reduce-brain-damage-after-a-stroke.