| Objective: To observe the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with acupuncture for upper limb dysfunction after stroke. Methods: A total of 60 stroke patients who met the standard in the Rehabilitation Department of Tianjin People’s Hospital were selected and divided into tDCS group (21 cases), acupuncture group (20 cases) and combined treatment group (19 cases) according to the random number table method. On the basis of routine rehabilitation, tDCS group received tDCS treatment, acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment, and combined treatment group received tDCS combined with acupuncture treatment. Before and after treatment, Fugl-meyer motor function upper extremities (FMA-UE), Wolf motor function (WMFT), modified Barthel index (MBI) scale and Brunnstrom scale were used to evaluate the curative effectiveness. Results: After treatment, FMA-UE, WMFT, MBI and Brunnstrom scores in the combined treatment group were significantly higher than those in the tDCS group and the acupuncture group with the difference being statistically significant (all P<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference between the tDCS group and the acupuncture group. After treatment, the scores of FMA-UE, WMFT, MBI and Brunnstrom in the three groups were significantly increased and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The tDCS combined with acupuncture can significantly improve the upper limb function of stroke patients, and the combined treatment is more effective than the single treatment. |
