| Abstract: | ![]()
Background: Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) has been widely studied with theaim of enhancing local synaptic efficacy and modulating the electrical activity ofthe cortex in patients with neurological disorders. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of a single sessionof tDCS regarding immediate changes in spatiotemporal gait and oscillations of thecenter of pressure (30 seconds) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Method:A randomized controlled trial with a blinded evaluator was conducted involving 20children with CP between six and ten years of age. Gait and balance were evaluatedthree times: Evaluation 1 (before the stimulation), Evaluation 2 (immediatelyafter stimulation), and Evaluation 3 (20 minutes after the stimulation). Theprotocol consisted of a 20-minute session of tDCS applied to the primary motorcortex at an intensity of 1 mA. The participants were randomly allocated to twogroups: experimental group - anodal stimulation of the primary motor cortex; andcontrol group - placebo transcranial stimulation. Results: Significant reductions were found in the experimental group regardingoscillations during standing in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directionswith eyes open and eyes closed in comparison with the control group (p<0.05).In the intra-group analysis, the experimental group exhibited significantimprovements in gait velocity, cadence, and oscillation in the center of pressureduring standing (p<0.05). No significant differences were found in the controlgroup among the different evaluations. Conclusion: A single session of tDCS applied to the primary motor cortex promotes positivechanges in static balance and gait velocity in children with cerebral palsy. |
