Trial reportJournal of rehabilitation medicine2025
Tele-rehabilitation using transcranial direct current stimulation combined with exercise in people with spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Multidimensional Effects of Telemedicine on Patients With Spinal Cord Injury: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- The effect of device-based neuromodulation on the motor recovery of patients with spinal cord injury.Spinal cord · 2025Pooled it
- Telerehabilitation for Motor Recovery in Adults with Neurological Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Across Motor Domains, Delivery Models, and Follow-Up Effects.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Spasticity and Abnormal Tone Regulation After Spinal Cord Injury: Mechanisms and the Effects of Neuromodulation.Biomedicines · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study explored the effects of home-based transcranial direct current stimulation combined with exercise on motor and sensory function, spasticity, functional and transfer performance, and quality of life.
designA prospective, double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial. SUBJECTS AND
methodsThirty individuals with SCI were allocated to receive either active transcranial direct current stimulation or sham transcranial direct current stimulation, followed by the same tele-rehabilitation programme, for 12 sessions over 4 weeks (3 sessions/week). Each session included 20 min of transcranial direct current stimulation followed by 1 h of tele-supervised exercise. Primary outcome was the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI). Secondary outcomes included (i) the upper limb muscle strength evaluated by hand-held dynamometer, (ii) spasticity evaluated by H reflex and modified-Modified Ashworth Scale, (iii) functional performance assessed by the spinal cord independence measure III, (iv) transfer performance assessed by the transfer assessment instrument, and (v) quality of life assessed by WHOQOL-BREF. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up.
resultsTwo-way mixed ANOVA revealed an interaction effects between group and time (F(1,18)=4.49, p=0.043) and main effects of time (F(1,18)=7.82, p=0.009). Bonferroni post-hoc analysis showed a significant improvement only within the active group at 1-month follow-up (p=0.002) for the upper extremity motor scores (UEMS). No significant differences were observed for any of the secondary outcomes.
conclusionThe effect of 12 sessions of home-based transcranial direct current stimulation combined with exercise was limited to improved upper limb motor recovery, with after-effect at 1-month post-intervention as compared with exercise alone. No improvements were found in sensory function, spasticity, functional and transfer performance, and quality of life. However, this intervention appeared to be feasible, safe, and well-adhered to and provides insight into the use of transcranial direct current stimulation as a tool for tele-rehabilitation in a spinal cord injury outpatient population.
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