Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33598767›Full record

Trial reportJournal of neurology2021

Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on post-stroke fatigue.

William De Doncker, Sasha Ondobaka, Annapoorna Kuppuswamy

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of neurology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04634864 (tDCS in Post-stroke Fatigue), which is not on this map. Cited by 23 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04634864 nacompletednot on this map

tDCS in Post-stroke Fatigue: a Double Blind, Sham-controlled, Bilateral Anodal Motor Cortical Stimulation Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity College, LondonRan2018 to 2019Enrolled33ConditionsFatigue, StrokeArmsAnodal tDCS, sham tDCS
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Neuroimmune Mechanisms and Emerging Intervention Strategies for Post-Stroke Fatigue: A Narrative Review.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2026
    Review
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  8. Review
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  11. Review
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  14. Observational
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  19. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

William De DonckerDepartment of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom. William.doncker.11@ucl.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7835-6937
Sasha OndobakaDepartment of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
Annapoorna KuppuswamyDepartment of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
University College London · GB

Funding

Stroke Association SA2015/02Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 202346/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFatigue is one of the most commonly reported symptoms post-stroke, which has a severe impact on the quality of life. Post-stroke fatigue is associated with reduced motor cortical excitability, specifically of the affected hemisphere.

objectiveThe aim of this exploratory study was to assess whether fatigue symptoms can be reduced by increasing cortical excitability using anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

methodsIn this sham-controlled, double-blind intervention study, tDCS was applied bilaterally over the primary motor cortex in a single session in thirty stroke survivors with high severity of fatigue. A questionnaire-based measure of trait fatigue (primary outcome) was obtained before, after a week and 5 weeks post stimulation. Secondary outcome measures of state fatigue, motor cortex neurophysiology and perceived effort were also assessed pre, immediately post, a week and 5 weeks post stimulation.

resultsAnodal tDCS significantly improved fatigue symptoms a week after real stimulation when compared to sham stimulation. There was also a significant change in motor cortex neurophysiology of the affected hemisphere and perceived effort, a week after stimulation. The degree of improvement in fatigue was associated with baseline anxiety levels.

conclusionA single session of anodal tDCS improves fatigue symptoms with the effect lasting up to a week post stimulation. tDCS may therefore be a useful tool for managing fatigue symptoms post-stroke.

trial registrationNCT04634864 DATE OF REGISTRATION: 17/11/2020-"retrospectively registered".

Indexed as

Motor CortexStrokeTranscranial Direct Current StimulationDouble-Blind MethodFatigueHumansQuality of LifeEffortFatiguePerceptionStroketDCS

Identifiers

PMID33598767
PMCPMC8289762
OpenAlexW3133039190

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.