The following is a summary of “Effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation on balance and gait in patients with multiple sclerosis: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials,” published in the October 2023 issue of Neurology by Nombela-Cabrera et al.
Neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) often cause motor impairments. Noninvasive brain stimulation may affect patients’ motor function.
Researchers performed a retrospective study to evaluate the effectiveness and influence of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on balance and gait in MS patients. The study compared tDCS to a sham or control group. The primary outcome assessed the impact on balance and gait ability.
Out of the 11 studies included, 10 involving 230 multiple sclerosis patients were part of the quantitative analysis. The average effect of tDCS on gait functionality was significantly better than the control group (SMD = -0.71; 95% CI, -1.05 to -0.37). When comparing tDCS to a sham, there were no significant differences in static balance (MD = 1.26, 95% CI, -1.31 to 3.82), and similar results were observed when different tDCS locations were compared.
The study found that TDCS improves gait in MS patients but does not affect static balance or stimulation area.
Source: jneuroengrehab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12984-023-01266-w
