Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined With Balance Training for Chronic Ankle Instability: A Double-Blind, Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Joosung Kim, Alan Needle, Jinhyun Lee et al.
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In 30 seconds
This double-blind pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated whether active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) added benefit to balance training in 19 individuals with chronic ankle instability. Participants received active or sham stimulation during training over 4 weeks. Static postural control, neural excitability, and self-reported ankle function changed over time in both groups, but the study found no clear added benefit from active tDCS. Estimated group differences were generally small; selected outcomes showed potentially larger effects, including fibularis longus corticospinal excitability (d = -0.88).
Key findings
- Static balance, soleus corticospinal excitability, and perceived ankle function changed over time regardless of tDCS assignment.
- Estimated active-versus-sham differences were small for most measures at weeks 2 and 4.
- Potentially moderate and large effects were observed for eyes-closed center of pressure area (d = -0.62) and fibularis longus corticospinal excitability (d = -0.88), respectively.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that balance training may be accompanied by changes in postural control and ankle function, while adding tDCS did not show a clear overall advantage in this pilot study. The selected outcome signals may help guide further research, but the results are preliminary and do not establish a reliable clinical benefit.
What to keep in mind
The trial was a pilot study with 19 participants, and individual analyses and effect-size estimates limit the certainty of conclusions about group-level benefit.