Remotely Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Post-Stroke Recovery: A Scoping Review.

Publication Type	Review
Authors	Kocahasan M, Stockbridge M, Stilling J, Utianski R, Sebastian R, Keser Z
Journal	Medicina (Kaunas)
Volume	61
Issue	4
Date Published	03/29/2025
ISSN	1648-9144
Keywords	Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Stroke Rehabilitation, Stroke
Abstract	Background and Objectives: Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Recent studies have suggested the feasibility and potential utility of remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation (RS-tDCS) to improve different types of impairments in various neurological conditions. This scoping review provides a critical appraisal of RS-tDCS as an adjunct therapy to enhance recovery after stroke. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature review was systematically conducted using PubMed through Nested Knowledge software. A supplementary search was conducted in Google Scholar. Two independent authors screened and identified related studies investigating RS-tDCS in patients with stroke from inception to February 2025. Results: Studies showed that RS-tDCS was safe, with only mild side effects. Additionally, it was feasible, with high adherence rates likely due to ease of use. Regarding efficacy, RS-tDCS preliminarily yielded improvements in upper- and lower-limb motor functions and increased language and cognitive performance. However, the studies were underpowered and heterogeneous, limiting generalization of findings. Conclusions: RS-tDCS is safe and feasible, affording beneficial effects in the motor, language, and cognitive functions of patients with post-stroke impairments. RS-tDCS has the potential to improve access and reduce disparities for post-stroke experimental treatments. However, adequately powered randomized trials are needed to further investigate the efficacy.
DOI	10.3390/medicina61040627
PubMed ID	40282918
PubMed Central ID	PMC12029044