Combining gentle brain stimulation with patient-controlled electrical hand therapy after stroke
Official title: tDCS During Contralaterally Controlled FES for Upper Extremity Hemiplegia
Funded at Case Western Reserve University · NIH-11320768 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project combines mild brain stimulation with a patient-controlled electrical therapy to help people with hand weakness after stroke regain better hand movement.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Case Western Reserve University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $690,693 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD109299-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11320768 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with chronic upper-limb hemiparesis from stroke who have difficulty opening their fingers and thumb and can participate in repeated therapy sessions.
✕Less likely to help
People without stroke-related hand weakness, those with contraindications to brain or electrical stimulation (for example implanted electronic medical devices), or those in the very acute phase after stroke may not benefit or could be excluded.
What this research studies
You would use a device that lets your unaffected hand control electrical stimulation to your weak hand so it opens and practices tasks. While you do that, clinicians apply a low-level direct current (tDCS) to the motor area of your scalp using one of two electrode setups. The researchers compare outcomes when the brain stimulation is given during the patient-controlled electrical therapy versus the electrical therapy alone. The treatment is aimed at people with long-standing hand weakness after stroke and uses repeated therapy sessions to try to improve hand opening and dexterity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, adding tDCS to patient-controlled electrical stimulation could produce better hand opening and improved dexterity for people with post-stroke upper-limb weakness.
How similar studies have gone: Prior trials of contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation (CCFES) have shown improved hand dexterity over conventional NMES, while combining CCFES with tDCS is a newer approach that is still being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cunningham, David Arthur — Case Western Reserve University
- Study coordinator: Cunningham, David Arthur
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.