ESTIMULAÇÃO TRANSCRANIANA POR CORRENTE CONTÍNUA (ETCC) EM INDIVÍDUOS COM TRAUMATISMO CRANIOENCEFÁLICO GRAVE NA FASE SUBAGUDA: ESTUDO DE VIABILIDADE

Abstract

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the main causes of disability and mortality in young adults, and current scientific evidence shows that cognitive impairment is one of the main limiting factors in post-TBI patients. Non-invasive brain stimulation has been studied for use as a complementary therapy, however, its application in individuals with severe TBI in the subacute phase is challenging. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility, in terms of recruitment, intervention and evaluation of a protocol of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for a randomized controlled clinical trial, in patients who suffered severe TBI in the subacute phase. This is a prospective, single-group feasibility study with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up in which individuals with severe TBI who had a Glasgow Coma Scale (GSE) score < or = 8 on the admission or at some point during hospitalization, were included in the study. The protocol included daily tDCS sessions, and feasibility was measured by examining recruitment, intervention, and assessments. The final sample consisted of eight individuals, all male, with a mean age of 37.5 years. The satisfaction and adherence of participants and family members does not seem to be an obstacle to the intervention, with hospital organization and management the most difficult factor. This pioneering feasibility study addressed some logistical and technical implications of the application of a neurostimulation protocol in the hospital environment in patients who suffered a TBI, in the subacute phase, and may serve as an aid for researchers to investigate through a randomized controlled clinical trial, the efficacy of neurostimulation in patients with TBI in the in-hospital subacute phase.