Shocking the brain back to life: VR and zaps may restore arm movement after stroke
NCT ID NCT04291573
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This completed study tested whether combining a gentle brain stimulation technique (HD-tDCS) with virtual reality therapy could help people who had a stroke more than three months ago recover arm function. Fifty-eight participants received either real or sham stimulation during VR sessions. The goal was to see if the combo boosts neuroplasticity and improves arm movement, dexterity, and daily use.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- HD-tDCS (brain stimulation device) and virtual reality therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this approach could offer a new way to improve arm movement and daily function for people who have had a stroke.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, early-stage trial (58 people) with no phase designation, so results may not apply widely. The improvements might be modest and not last long-term.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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58 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Feb 2021
- Finished
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Mar 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient aged 18 to 90 * Patient with more than 3 months of a first cerebrovascular accident whatever the aetiology * Patient with paresis of the upper extremity (FM-UE ≥ 15) Exclusion Criteria: * Failure to collect written informed consent after a period of reflection * Not be affiliated with a French social security scheme or beneficiary of such a scheme * Major deficit of the upper extremity (FM-UE \<15) * History of epilepsy * Presence of a pacemaker or a metallic object implanted in the head * Pregnant or lactating * Severe neglect or attention deficit disorder (omission of more than 15 bells in the Bell's test) * Severe cognitive impairment (Mini Mental Score \<24) * Aphasia with impairment of understanding (Boston Aphasia Quotient \<4/5) * Under guardianship or curatorship * Protected by law
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Montpellier hospital Lapeyronie
Montpellier, 34000, France