Stroke, characterized by high morbidity, mortality, and disability, usually causes symptoms of cerebral hypoxia due to a sudden blockage or rupture of brain vessels. It seriously threatens human life and health. Rehabilitation is an essential treatment for post-stroke patients suffering from functional impairments, through which hemiparesis, aphasia, dysphagia, unilateral neglect, depression, and cognitive dysfunction can be restored to various degrees.

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is a popular neuromodulatory technology of rehabilitation focusing on local cerebral cortex, which can improve clinical functions by regulating the excitability of corresponding neurons. Through this approach, neurons or nerve signal transduction in adjacent or distant parts of the stimulation site are excited, inhibited, or regulated, thereby changing nerve function and improving the quality of life of patients.

The principle and research situation of four NIBS techniques including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (tFUS), and transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) were introduced detailedly in the present study. Due to the specific advantages of being noninvasive, painless, safe, and cheap, in addition to having different parameters and treatment modes, NIBS shows broad prospects for development. Application and future directions of the four common NIBS techniques in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation were discussed to promote the use of NIBS. 

More well-designed high-quality randomized controlled clinical trials on the selection of optimal parameters are expected to provide evidence for the standardized therapeutic protocols of various NIBS techniques. Different NIBS combination on multi-target of the brain network will be a future development direction in neuromodulation of post-stroke rehabilitation.

This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/brainsci13030451