Trial reportEuropean journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine2025
Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with gait-oriented motor training on disability, quality of life, and motor function in individuals with subacute stroke: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Who Falls After a Stroke? Evidence From a Prospective Stroke Cohort.European journal of neurology · 2026Article
- Application of musculoskeletal ultrasound in quantitative assessment and rehabilitation of lower leg muscles in stroke patients.Frontiers in neurology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundStroke is a leading cause of long-term disability, with the sub-acute phase (1-6 months post-stroke) being critical for recovery. While gait-oriented motor training is widely used in rehabilitation, its efficacy may be enhanced by adjunctive neuromodulation through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). However, evidence remains limited regarding the combined impact of these approaches on both functional and quality-of-life outcomes in sub-acute stroke patients.
aimTo assess the effectiveness of tDCS combined with gait-oriented motor training on disability, quality of life, motor function, and balance in individuals with sub-acute stroke.
designA prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial.
settingOutpatient rehabilitation clinics affiliated with King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. POPULATION: Fifty-seven participants (aged 18-80 years) with medically stable, first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic sub-acute stroke and lower limb motor deficits.
methodsParticipants were randomized into an intervention group (tDCS + gait-oriented motor training, N.=29) or a control group (gait-oriented motor training only, N.=28). tDCS was administered at 2 mA for 20 minutes, three times per week for four weeks. Primary outcomes were stroke-specific health-related quality of life (Stroke Impact Scale, SIS) and general functioning/disability (WHODAS 2.0), in line with WHO's ICF framework. Secondary outcomes included motor function (Fugl-Meyer Assessment), balance (Berg Balance Scale), and mobility (Timed Up and Go test). Assessments occurred at baseline, post-intervention, and at three-month follow-up.
resultsThe intervention group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group across all primary and secondary outcomes (P<0.01). Effect sizes were moderate to large (Cohen's d=0.44-1.2). Improvements in motor function and balance were positively correlated with gains in independence and social participation.
conclusionsThe combination of tDCS and gait-oriented training significantly improves motor function, participation, and self-perceived social and emotional functioning in sub-acute stroke rehabilitation and demonstrates sustained effects over time. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: This integrated intervention provides a viable and effective strategy for enhancing motor recovery, balance, and quality of life in stroke patients, supporting its incorporation into routine outpatient rehabilitation protocols.
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