Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Plus Early Rehabilitation Therapy on Cerebral Cognitive Function, Hemodynamics and Life Quality in Patients

Abstract

With the implementation of Health China strategy, rehabilitation medicine, as an important branch of medicine, plays an increasingly important role in China's health. Objective: This paper aims to inquire into the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) plus early rehabilitation therapy on cerebral cognitive function, hemodynamics and quality of life (QOL) in patients with cerebral infarction (CI). Methods: One hundred and eight CIpatients treated in our hospital were randomized into the observation group (OG; n=63) for TDCS plus early rehabilitation therapy and the control group (CG; n=45) for early rehabilitation therapy alone. The changes of hemodynamic index before and after treatment were observed. The eurological deficit [neurological deficit score (NDS)] and cognitive impairment [mini-mental state examination (MMSE)], as well as activity of daily living (ADL; Barthel score) and motor function [Fugl Meyer assessment (FMA)] were compared between the two series. The assessment of neurological function recovery of patients in the two cohors was performed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The therapeutic effect of the two groups was compared, as well as the post-treatment QOL referring to the questionnaire of QOL of patients with acute CI. Results: The post-treatment hemodynamic indexes increased in both OG and CG, and the increase was more profound in OG (p<0.05). After treatment, the NDS score in OG was lower while the MMSE score was higher as compared to CG (p<0.05). The Barthel score and the FMA score increased in both groups after treatment, with higher scores in OG (p<0.05). The NIHSS score of both groups decreased post treatment, and the score was lower in OG (p<0.05). OG presented with notably higher total effective rate (p=0.028) and superior QOL than CG (p<0.05). Conclusions: TDCS plus early rehabilitation therapy is effective for patients with early CI, which can enormously improve the neurological function, hemodynamics, activity ability and QOL of patients.