Transcraniële gelijkstroomstimulatie: Mogelijk nieuwe behandeling voor unilateraal 'neglect'

• One of the most devastating cognitive deficits following a stroke is when the patient neglects one half of the body and surroundings (unilateral neglect). • Unilateral neglect following a stroke has a high prevalence and is one of the most important predictors of poor functional outcome. • Various treatment methods have been studied over the past decades but their effects appear too short-term or task-specific and therefore, difficult to extrapolate to other untrained situations. • A possible new intervention is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which is capable of modulating brain activity by polarizing neurons with the aid of a constant low current. • Recent research suggests that inhibiting the intact hemisphere or increasing the neuronal activity in the damaged hemisphere might reduce unilateral neglect. • For treating unilateral neglect, tDCS appears to be a promising technique; however, more research is necessary to reveal its therapeutic potential.