title: Non-invasive electric current stimulation for restoration of vision after unilateral occipital stroke.
abstract: Occipital stroke often leads to visual field loss, for which no effective treatment exists. Little is known about the potential of non-invasive electric current stimulation to ameliorate visual functions in patients suffering from unilateral occipital stroke. One reason is the traditional thinking that visual field loss after brain lesions is permanent. Since evidence is available documenting vision restoration by means of vision training or non-invasive electric current stimulation future studies should also consider investigating recovery processes after visual cortical strokes. Here, protocols of repetitive transorbital alternating current stimulation (rtACS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are presented and the European consortium for restoration of vision (REVIS) is introduced. Within the consortium different stimulation approaches will be applied to patients with unilateral occipital strokes resulting in homonymous hemianopic visual field defects. The aim of the study is to evaluate effects of current stimulation of the brain on vision parameters, vision-related quality of life, and physiological parameters that allow concluding about the mechanisms of vision restoration. These include EEG-spectra and coherence measures, and visual evoked potentials. The design of stimulation protocols involves an appropriate sham-stimulation condition and sufficient follow-up periods to test whether the effects are stable. This is the first application of non-invasive current stimulation for vision rehabilitation in stroke-related visual field deficits. Positive results of the trials could have far-reaching implications for clinical practice. The ability of non-invasive electrical current brain stimulation to modulate the activity of neuronal networks may have implications for stroke rehabilitation also in the visual domain.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Magdeburg, Medical Faculty, Magdeburg 39120, Germany. Electronic address: imp@med.ovgu.de.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gall
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH), Helsinki 00290, Finland.
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Silvennoinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience & Orthopedics, Catholic University of Rome, Rome 00198, Italy; IRCCS S.Raffaele Pisana, Rome 00163, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Granata
authors.affiliation: National Centre of Services and Research for the Prevention of Blindness and Rehabilitation of Low Vision Patients - IAPB, Italian Branch, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Rossi
authors.affiliation: IRCCS S.Raffaele Pisana, Rome 00163, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vecchio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Magdeburg, Medical Faculty, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
authors.forename: Doreen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brösel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Magdeburg, Medical Faculty, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bola
authors.affiliation: Median Klinik NRZ Magdeburg, 39120, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sailer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw 02-093, Poland.
authors.forename: Wioletta J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Waleszczyk
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Neuroscience & Orthopedics, Catholic University of Rome, Rome 00198, Italy; IRCCS S.Raffaele Pisana, Rome 00163, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH), Helsinki 00290, Finland.
authors.forename: Turgut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatlisumak
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Magdeburg, Medical Faculty, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Sabel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012107:Research Design; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014794:Visual Fields; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alternating current stimulation; Homonymous hemianopia; Intracerebral hemorrhage; Ischemic stroke; Transcranial direct current stimulation; Vision rehabilitation