• PNF and Movement
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.193-202
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• 2023

Purpose: We investigated the effects of transcranial stimulation and task-oriented training on upper extremity and cognitive function in chronic stroke patients. Methods: A total of 30 patients were randomly divided into transcranial stimulation and task-oriented training groups (TT) and task-oriented training groups (TO). The TT group performed 30 min 5 times a week for 4 weeks in task-oriented training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation. The TO group performed 30 min 5 times a week for 4 weeks in task-oriented training. To measure upper extremity function, the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, Manual Function Test, and Cognitive Function Test were performed using the Stroop Test and the Trail Making Test. Results: There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) before and after training in both groups, and the TT group showed significant improvement in both groups. Conclusion: In this study, we confirmed transcranial stimulation and task-oriented training in upper extremity function and cognitive function in patients with chronic strokes.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2023

Purpose : This study evaluated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation and a virtual reality program on the depression, hand functions, cognitive function, and activities of daily living of patients with mild cognitive impairment by dividing 20 patients with mild cognitive impairment and depression. The 20 patients were divided into a treatment group (transcranial direct current stimulation + a virtual reality program) and a control group (placebo transcranial direct current stimulation + a placebo virtual reality program). Methods : This study allocated ten subjects to the treatment group and ten subjects to the control group. The treatment was given five times per week for six weeks (30 sessions), and each session was 30 minutes. This study screened depression by using SGDS-K, a short geriatric depression scale, to examine depression before and after treatment intervention. This study also used the box and block test, NCSE, and FIM to evaluate hand functions, cognitive function, and activities of daily living, respectively. Results : The results showed that depression significantly decreased, hand functions significantly increased, cognitive function significantly improved, and activities of daily living significantly increased after intervention in the treatment and control groups. The magnitude of changes in depression, hand functions, cognitive function, and activities of daily living was significantly different between the two groups after intervention (p>.05). Conclusion : The results showed that the application of transcranial direct current stimulation and a virtual reality program could improve cognitive function, hand functions, and activities of daily living by decreasing depression. Therefore, it can be concluded that the simultaneous application of transcranial direct current stimulation and a virtual reality program is an intervention method, which can be applied for decreasing depression, enhancing hand functions, improving cognitive function, and increasing activities of daily living in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

• Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.119-132
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• 2018

Despite the fact that pharmacotherapy depressive disorders have proven efficacy, a substantial number of patients are resistant to conventional management. As neuroscientific research about pathophysiology of depression have accumulated, repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have emerged as an important mechanism-based treatment modality. This overview provides a review of therapeutic application of rTMS and tDCS in patients with depression. The clinical and basic studies of rTMS and tDCS in depression were reviewed and integrated using a literature review and interview with experts. rTMS is a noninvasive procedure of a localized pulsed magnetic field to the surface of the head to cause a depolarization of neurons in the brain cortex. tDCS has a mechanism of modulating cortical excitability in a polarity-specific manner without eliciting action potentials. rTMS and tDCS seem promising for treating depression. Although therapeutic parameters and further technical improvement remain to be systematically investigated, rTMS and tDCS would be a safe and effective intervention to treat depression.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.89-100
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• 2018

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation method that delivers 1-2 mA of current to the scalp. Several clinical studies have been conducted to confirm the therapeutic effect of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients with tDCS. Some studies have shown tDCS's antidepressant effect, while the others showed conflicting results in antidepressant effects. Our aim of this review is to understand the biological bases of tDCS's antidepressant effect and review the results of studies on tDCS's antidepressant effect. For the review and search process of MDD treatment using tDCS, the US National Library of Medicine search engine PubMed was used. In this review, we discuss the biological mechanism of tDCS's antidepressant effect and the existing published literature including meta-analysis, systematic review, control trial, open studies, and case reports of antidepressant effects and cognitive function improvement in patients with MDD are reviewed. We also discuss the appropriate tDCS protocol for MDD patients, factors predictive of response to tDCS treatment, the disadvantages of tDCS in MDD treatment, and side effects.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.156-164
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• 2021

Several types of pain occur following spinal cord injury (SCI); however, neuropathic pain (NP) is one of the most intractable. Invasive and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have been studied in clinical trials to treat chronic NP following SCI. The evidence for invasive stimulation including motor cortex and deep brain stimulation via the use of implanted electrodes to reduce SCI-related NP remains limited, due to the small scale of existing studies. The lower risk of complications associated with non-invasive stimulation, including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), provide potentially attractive alternative central neuromodulation techniques. Compared to rTMS, tDCS is technically easier to apply, more affordable, available, and potentially feasible for home use. Accordingly, several new studies have investigated the efficacy of tDCS to treat NP after SCI. In this review, articles relating to the mechanisms, clinical efficacy and safety of tDCS on SCI-related NP were searched from inception to December 2019. Six clinical trials, including five randomized placebo-controlled trials and one prospective controlled trial, were included for evidence specific to the efficacy of tDCS for treating SCI-related NP. The mechanisms of action of tDCS are complex and not fully understood. Several factors including stimulation parameters and individual patient characteristics may affect the efficacy of tDCS intervention. Current evidence to support the efficacy of utilizing tDCS for relieving chronic NP after SCI remains limited. Further strong evidence is needed to confirm the efficacy of tDCS intervention for treating SCI-related NP.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.175-187
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• 2017

Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) is a clinically safe and effective method of delivering weak electric current to modulate cortical activities. And based on the cumulating scientific evidences, the method is recommended to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. In this paper, we review the development of TDCS in the rising field of neuromodulation. Then with suggested biochemical and physical mechanism of TDCS, we summarize the reported cases of using TDCS to alleviate major neuropsychiatric disorders. And, in particular, the treatment of MDD is highlighted as an illustrative example of using TDCS. We discuss here the therapeutic potentials of this method in psychiatry. And in closing remarks, we evaluate the current technical limitations and suggest the future directions of this method in both the clinical and research aspects.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.167-174
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• 2017

Based on advances in biotechnology and neuroscience, neuromodulation is poised to gain clinical importance as a treatment modality for psychiatric disorders. In addition to old-established electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), clinicians are expected to understand newer forms of neurostimulation, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Given the growing interest in non-invasive neuromodulation technologies, clinicians may seek sufficient information about neuromodulation to inform their clinical practice. A growing literature suggests that applications of non-invasive neuromodulation have evidence particularly for indications where treatments are currently insufficient, such as drug-resistant depression. However, positive neuromodulation studies require replication, and the precise interactions among stimulation, antidepressant medication, and psychotherapy are unknown. Further studies of long-term safety and the impact on the developing brain are needed. Non-invasive neuromodulatory devices could enable more individualized treatment. However, do-it-yourself (DIY) stimulation kits require a better understanding of the effects of more frequent patterns of stimulation and raise concerns about clinical supervision, regulation, and reimbursement. Wide spread enthusiasm for therapeutic potential of neuromodulation in clinical practice settings should be mitigated by the fact that there are still research gaps and challenges associated with non-invasive neuromodulatory devices.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.520-530
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of occupation-based bilateral upper extremity training and transcranial direct current stimulation on upper limb function in stroke patients. The study group was divided into 13 experimental groups with occupation-based bilateral upper extremity training and transcranial direct current stimulation, and 13 controls with only occupation-based bilateral upper extremity training. A total of 4 weeks, 50 minutes, 5 times a week conducted, the patients were tested with Canadian Occupational Performance Measure(COPM), Accelerometer, Fugle-Meyer Assessment(FMA), and Motor Activity Log(MAL). As a result of the study, the experimental group and the control group showed significant improvement in both occupation satisfaction and performance, usage of the affected side and the tendon side, recovery of upper limb function, and quality of movement, In particular, the experimental group showed a significant difference in the amount of the affected side than the control group. Therefore, it was found that the combination of occupation-based bilateral upper extremity training and transcranial direct current stimulation had a positive effect on the recovery of upper limb function in stroke patients.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.159-169
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide an effective method of exercise therapy for patients with cervicogenic headache. Methods: The subjects were divided into the following three groups according to the intervention received: cervix-stabilizing exercise (n=12, group 1), transcranial direct current stimulation (n=12, group 2), and cervix-stabilizing exercise combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (n=12, group 3). The intragroup and intergroup differences in muscle characteristics and neck disability index were compared and analyzed. Results: The comparison and analysis of the changes in muscle tone and post hoc analysis revealed statistically significant intragroup decreases in the upper trapezius and suboccipitals in groups I and III, and statistically significant intergroup differences in the upper trapezius, with greater changes in group III than in group II, and in the suboccipitals, with greater changes in groupIII than in groups Iand II. The comparison and analysis of the change in muscle stiffness and post hoc analysis revealed a statistically significanti ntra group decrease in the upper trapezius in group Iand suboccipitals in group III, and a statistically significant intergroup difference in both muscles, with greater change in group III than in group II. The comparison and analysis of change in neck disability index and post hoc analysis revealed a statistically significant intragroup decrease in all the three groups and a statistically significant intergroup difference, with greater change in group III than in groups I and II. Conclusion: The neck-stabilizing exercise and transcranial direct current stimulation were shown to be effective in decreasing the tone of the cervical muscles by stabilizing the cervical bone and improving muscle durability, and in improving the movement and limitation of joint range of motion by decreasing muscle tone and stiffness.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1476-1484
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to compare the golf performance on transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS). Ten collegiate golfers were participated. SAMPutt basic unit was used to analyze the kinematic data of putter head. A putting platform and a tDCS were used for putting tasks. It was performed paired t-test to compare between before tDCS and after tDCS. A significant level of .05 using SPSS 24.0. Face at aim and backswing variables of putter head were significantly different during flat putting. Impact spot of putter head was significantly different during 2° of hook slope. However, there were not significantly different others slope angle. It was found that transcranial direct current stimulation had a positive effect on kinematic variables. Based on these results, further research is needed to confirm the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on body stability during putting task.