Author

Year

Country

Research Design

PEDro

Sample Size

Lesniak et al.

(2014)

Poland

RCT

PEDro=8

N=23

Population: Severe TBI=23; Mean Age=28.7yr; Gender: Males=17, Females=6; Mean Time Post Injury=18.1mo.

Intervention: Participants were randomized to the Treatment Group: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), or the Control Group with sham therapy. Assessments were done at admission, immediately before treatment, after 3wk rehabilitation, and 4mo after completion.

Outcome Measure: Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), Rey’s Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Patter Recognition Memory test (PRM), Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Spatial Span Test (SSP), Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP), European Brain Injury Questionnaire (EBIQ).

1.        No significant differences between groups post treatment were found on any measures except a moderate improvement in the treatment group on the RVP (p=0.007).

1.        At the 4mo follow-up there were no significant differences between groups.

Michals et al.

(1993)

USA

RCT

PEDro=7

N=22

Population: Mean Age: 24.8 yr; Gender: male=17, female=5; Mean Time Post-Injury: 4.2 yr; Condition: TBI.

Intervention: A double blind, sham controlled trial on the effectiveness of cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) evaluating short-term memory and cognitive functions in TBI patients.

Outcome Measure Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised; California Verbal Learning Test, Recurring Figures Test.

1.        Results revealed that CES stimulation in brain-injured patients did not improve memory or immediate and delayed recall compared with controls.

2.        Repeated trial effects showed significant increase in both intervention and control group, however there was no significant differences between groups.