Avaliação da estimulação elétrica como promotora de neuroplasticidade após acidente vascular cerebral

Abstract

Stroke represents the second leading cause of death worldwide and the third when analyzing deaths and disabilities combined. The use of electrical stimulation is a tool considered to be capable of inducing neuroplasticity being able to promote recovery in cases of brain injury through the reconstruction of neuronal connections. Therefore, the present integrative review aims to condense and evaluate the main evidence regarding the use of this tool as an instrument to promote neuroplasticity in the rehabilitation of motor and cognitive sequelae in post-stroke patients. Thus, some approaches for the use of electrical stimulation have been applied and evaluated in clinical trials for this purpose, and during the preparation of this review, records of researches involving transcranial direct current stimulation and functional electrical stimulation were found, being applied in two or four channels, automated, unilateral or bilateral and even controlled by a computer-brain interface. The studies analyzed in this review found evidence of good tolerability and benefits from the use of electrical stimulation in both motor and cognitive function and also in promoting brain connectivity in post-stroke patients.