Recruiting

Post-stroke Neglect

Sponsor:

VA Office of Research and Development

Code:

NCT03317860

Conditions

Stroke

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Active direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study examines how to best assess and treat post-stroke neglect. This study will examine the preliminary effects of an innovative intervention (repetitive task-specific practice + transcranial direct current stimulation) for individuals with neglect. This study will also determine whether items from various neglect assessments can be combined to establish a more comprehensive neglect measure.

Conditions

Stroke

Study ID

NCT03317860

Start date

Jul 2, 2018

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Sep 30, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep 30, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke 3 months post stroke
  • Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity (FMA-Upper Extremity) score between 20-56/60
  • Inducible motor evoked potential (MEP) of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) on the paretic stimulation (TMS)
  • Demonstrate the presence of unilateral neglect (Virtual Reality Lateralized Attention Test score <18)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of cortical hemorrhagic stroke
  • Presence of any MRI, TMS, tDCS risk factors including:

  • history of seizures
  • history of brain tumor
  • hardware in skull or spine (e.g. coils, clips)
  • implantable medical device (e.g. pacemaker)
  • metal in body (not compatible with MRI)
  • pregnancy
  • Severe spasticity (Modified Ashworth Scale score 3)
  • Severe aphasia or cognitive impairment limiting participants' comprehension (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Level of Consciousness Commands Item score 1 or Best Language Item score 2)
  • Unable to travel to UE Motor Function Laboratory at the Center for Rehabilitation Research in Neurological Conditions (a collaborative, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) approved, research center Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and the Medical University of South Carolina) for the study

Study Design

Enrollment

17 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Other

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

sham comparator: Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) plus repetitive task-specific practice (RTP)

Single session of bilateral sham parietal cortex tDCS (for 30 minutes) paired with repetitive task-specific practice (RTP)

active comparator: Active tDCS plus RTP

Single session of bilateral active parietal cortex tDCS (2.0 mA for 30 minutes) paired with repetitive task-specific practice (RTP)

Interventions

Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Sham tDCS will be delivered for 30 minutes in conjunction with repetitive task-specific practice for the arm/hand. tDCS is a form of noninvasive brain stimulation. Electrodes will be placed on the scalp but in the sham condition they will not deliver direct current (2mA). Sham tDCS will be delivered for 30 minutes in conjunction with repetitive task-specific practice for the arm/hand.

Repetitive task-specific practice (RTP). Participants will practice using their paretic arm/hand to complete functional movements during the 30 minute train

Active direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Sham tDCS will be delivered for 30 minutes in conjunction with repetitive task-specific practice for the arm/hand. tDCS is a form of noninvasive brain stimulation. Electrodes will be placed on the scalp but in the sham condition they will not deliver direct current (2mA). Sham tDCS will be delivered for 30 minutes in conjunction with repetitive task-specific practice for the arm/hand.

Repetitive task-specific practice (RTP). Participants will practice using their paretic arm/hand to complete functional movements during the 30 minute train

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in excitability of fronto-parietal connectivity [ Time Frame: Participants will be assessed at baseline and 30 minutes later ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Emily S Grattan, PhD MS BS

(412) 559-4920ESG39@pitt.edu

Locations

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA

Recruiting

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15240

Contacts

Amy Boos

(412) 648-4179amy.boos2@va.gov

Katie L Mullen

(412) 822-3661Katie.Mullen@va.gov

Principal Investigator:

Emily S. Grattan, PhD MS BS

More Information

Sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

Last update posted

Sep 4, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • perceptual disorders
  • cerebrovascular disorders
  • neurobehavioral manifestations
  • neurologic manifestations
  • neglect
  • non-invasive brain stimulation
  • rehabilitation
  • tDCS
  • paresis

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by VA Office of Research and Development on 2026-09-04.