Lessons Learned From Clinical Trials of a Neurorehabilitation Therapy Based on tDCS, BMI, and Pedaling Systems

Abstract

—This article shows the lessons learned from clinical trials of a new neurorehabilitation therapy for cerebro-vascular accident (CVA) patients. The new therapy is based on the combination of a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) strategy, a brain–machine interface (BMI) based on electroencephalographic signals, and a pedaling system. The new therapy was applied during five consecutive days to six CVA patients with motor limitations in their right lower limb that are in the subacute phase. In this article, not only the clinical results are presented, but also the experiences and challenges of performing clinical trials with patients are described, which can be of great interest for future researchers that are planning to evaluate BMIs and tDCS systems with patients.