Additive effect of tDCS and neuromotor recruitment on functional recovery in chronic paraplegia: A randomized controlled trial.

Overview

1. Faculty of Public Health, Laboratory of Motor System, Handicap and Rehabilitation (MOHAR), Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
2. Laboratoire de Recherche Sociétés et Humanité (LARSH DeVisu), Université Polytechnique Hauts-De-France, Valenciennes, France
3. Biomedical Engineering Department, Signal Processing Research Group, Lebanese International University, Tripoli, Lebanon
4. Biomedical Engineering Department, Signal Processing Research Group, The International University IU, Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract

Functional recovery in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is traditionally viewed as limited, particularly after the spontaneous recovery window has closed. This single-blind randomized controlled trial investigated whether adding anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to the Neuromotor Recruitment Method (NEUROM)—a protocol combining motor imagery with intensive peripheral sensory stimulation—provides a additive benefit for sensorimotor recovery. Fifty participants with chronic paraplegia (mean time since injury: 15.4 ± 3.2 months; ASIA Impairment Scale A, B, or C) were recruited and randomized into three arms: Reference (standard care, n = 10), NEUROM (n = 20), or NEUROM+tDCS (n = 20). The intervention was administered over 10 days. Outcomes included the Lower Extremity Motor Score (LEMS), Light Touch and Pin Prick sensory scores, and the Assessment of Movement Attempt (AMA). The Reference group showed no significant recovery. Both active groups (NEUROM and NEUROM+tDCS) achieved substantial and statistically identical improvements in sensory function compared to the Reference group (p < 0.001), suggesting that peripheral recruitment alone is sufficient for afferent restoration. However, a significant dissociation was observed in motor function: the NEUROM+tDCS group demonstrated superior LEMS recovery (Mean change: 18 points) compared to the NEUROM group (14 points; p = 0.01) and reported significantly higher volitional drive (p < 0.001). These findings indicate a clear dissociation between sensory and motor plasticity in chronic SCI; while peripheral somatosensory recruitment drives afferent sensory restoration, the addition of central stimulation via tDCS is critical for maximizing efferent motor output. This suggests that restoring motor function in chronic paraplegia requires a “top-down” cortical prime to complement “bottom-up” peripheral signaling. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04790149.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

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Data

Datasets cited

• zenodo:19692431, at Zenodo; found in “Data Availability”

Data Availability

The complete minimal dataset underlying the results of this study has been permanently deposited in an open-access repository and is publicly accessible via the following DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19692431.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

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Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 7 authors, 12 MeSH terms, 37 references.

Cite

This paper

Rifai Sarraj, A., Allaw, J., Rached, E., Khayat, J., Karaki, H., Diab, A., & Pinti, A. (2026). Additive effect of tDCS and neuromotor recruitment on functional recovery in chronic paraplegia: A randomized controlled trial. PloS one, 21(6), e0352320. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0352320

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