Strokedual-task tDCSNCT06769672
Dual-task Training Combined With tDCS on Cognitive-motor Performance and Brain Activity in Stroke Patients
A study testing active tDCS with dual-task training in people with Stroke and Cortical Excitability, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
This study aims to evaluate the effects of tDCS combined with cognitive-motor training on dual-task interference during walking and foot pedaling, alongside corresponding alterations in brain activity assessed via fNIRS. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 50 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Stroke, Cortical Excitability
- What is being tested?
- active tDCS with dual-task training
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 72 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2025to 30 Apr 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 50 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- a diagnosis of stroke, stroke onset of more than 6 months,
- aged 50 or more,
- capable of following verbal and visual instructions,
- having a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score ≥ 22,
- able to walk for 10 meters with/without a mobility aid,
- community-dwelling, unilateral stroke
Who cannot join
- neurological disorders, gait-precluding pain or comorbidity,
- receiving any formal rehabilitation training,
- contraindications to exercise (e.g., unstable angina),
- contraindications to fNIRS, MRI, and tDCS (e.g., brain skin injury, pacemaker, metal implants in the brain),
- history of seizure or epilepsy,
- color blindness.
- unable to walk with/without a mobility aid while responsing stimulus by the remote control
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Hong Kong1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong
Marco Yiu-Chung Pang, +852 2766 7156, marco.pang@polyu.edu.hk
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Dual-task Training Combined With tDCS on Cognitive-motor Interference and Related Brain Activity in Stroke Patients
This study aims to evaluate the effects of tDCS combined with cognitive-motor training on dual-task interference during walking and foot pedaling, alongside corresponding alterations in brain activity assessed via fNIRS. Additionally, an fMRI component was conducted as a nested sub-study for deep mechanistic exploration.
Read the detailed description
In China, the prevalence of stroke increased by 106.0% (93.7-118.8) between 1990 and 2019, highlighting the persistent and substantial burden of this condition. Post-stroke recovery, particularly the ability to achieve community ambulation, plays a critical role in improving health-related quality of life. Effective community ambulation in daily life requires the ability to dual-task-namely, to perform concurrent tasks requiring attentional resources while maintaining walking function and balance. Emerging evidence suggests that stroke survivors face greater challenges in walking function and dual-task balance compared to their age-matched, able-bodied counterparts. For instance, when tasked with recalling a shopping list while walking, stroke patients exhibit a more pronounced decline in both walking speed and cognitive performance relative to control groups. Given the necessity for stroke survivors to reintegrate into the community, it is imperative to thoroughly investigate this phenomenon of cognitive-motor interference.
- Conditions
- Stroke, Cortical Excitability
- Being tested
- active tDCS with dual-task training, sham tDCS with dual-task training
- Keywords
- Dual-task training, Cognitive-motor interference, tDCS
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
active tDCS with dual-task trainingOther
participants receive three 20-minute active tDCS treatment and three 60-minute COGMOTION dual-task exercise sessions per week for four consecutive weeks.
sham tDCS with dual-task trainingOther
participants receive three 20-minute sham tDCS treatment and three 60-minute COGMOTION dual-task exercise sessions per week for four consecutive weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| active tDCS combined with dual-task group | Experimental | patients receive three active tDCS and three dual motor-cognitive exercise training per week for four weeks. Receives: Other: active tDCS with dual-task training |
| sham tDCS combined with dual-task group | Active comparator | Patients receive three sham tDCS and three dual cognitive-motor exercise training per week for four weeks. Receives: Other: sham tDCS with dual-task training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait speed
Gait speed under dual-task walking condition will be recorded
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task self-paced walking--cognitive performance
Number of correct responses will be measured during dual-task conditions
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Secondary outcomes (9)
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait performance 1
Gait cadence will be measured during dual-task walking
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait performance 2
Stride length will be measured during dual-task walking
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait performance 3
Dor-Plantar Range under dual-task walking will be recorded
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task self-paced walking--cognitive performance 1
Correct reaction time under dual-task walking will be recorded
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Oxyhemoglobin concentration changes of the brain
Oxyhemoglobin concentration changes will be measured using functional near infra-red spectroscopy during dual-task walking
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task pedaling--cadence
cadence under dual-task foot pedaling will be recorded
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task pedaling--cognitive performance 1
Number of correct responses under dual-task foot pedaling will be recorded
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Blood oxygenation level changes of the brain
Blood oxygenation level changes will be measured using Magnetic Resonance Imaging during dual-task foot pedaling
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
tDCS adverse event
number of patients who report an adverse event will be recorded.
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jan 2025
- Study start1 Jan 2025
- Primary completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StrokeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 72 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06769672
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Marco PANG_tDCS
- Acronym
- dual-task tDCS
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 6 Jan 2025
- Last updated
- 14 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Dual-task Training Combined With tDCS on Cognitive-motor Interference and Related Brain Activity in Stroke Patients
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06769672
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- dual-task tDCS / Marco PANG_tDCS
- Conditions
- Stroke, Cortical Excitability
- Keywords
- Dual-task training, Cognitive-motor interference, tDCS
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 72 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Jan 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to evaluate the effects of tDCS combined with cognitive-motor training on dual-task interference during walking and foot pedaling, alongside corresponding alterations in brain activity assessed via fNIRS. Additionally, an fMRI component was conducted as a nested sub-study for deep mechanistic exploration.
Detailed description
In China, the prevalence of stroke increased by 106.0% (93.7-118.8) between 1990 and 2019, highlighting the persistent and substantial burden of this condition. Post-stroke recovery, particularly the ability to achieve community ambulation, plays a critical role in improving health-related quality of life. Effective community ambulation in daily life requires the ability to dual-task-namely, to perform concurrent tasks requiring attentional resources while maintaining walking function and balance. Emerging evidence suggests that stroke survivors face greater challenges in walking function and dual-task balance compared to their age-matched, able-bodied counterparts. For instance, when tasked with recalling a shopping list while walking, stroke patients exhibit a more pronounced decline in both walking speed and cognitive performance relative to control groups. Given the necessity for stroke survivors to reintegrate into the community, it is imperative to thoroughly investigate this phenomenon of cognitive-motor interference.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| active tDCS combined with dual-task group | Experimental | Other: active tDCS with dual-task trainingpatients receive three active tDCS and three dual motor-cognitive exercise training per week for four weeks. |
| sham tDCS combined with dual-task group | Active comparator | Other: sham tDCS with dual-task trainingPatients receive three sham tDCS and three dual cognitive-motor exercise training per week for four weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 50 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- a diagnosis of stroke, stroke onset of more than 6 months,
- aged 50 or more,
- capable of following verbal and visual instructions,
- having a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score ≥ 22,
- able to walk for 10 meters with/without a mobility aid,
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- neurological disorders, gait-precluding pain or comorbidity,
- receiving any formal rehabilitation training,
- contraindications to exercise (e.g., unstable angina),
- contraindications to fNIRS, MRI, and tDCS (e.g., brain skin injury, pacemaker, metal implants in the brain),
- history of seizure or epilepsy,
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| active tDCS with dual-task trainingparticipants receive three 20-minute active tDCS treatment and three 60-minute COGMOTION dual-task exercise sessions per week for four consecutive weeks. | Other | active tDCS combined with dual-task group |
| sham tDCS with dual-task trainingparticipants receive three 20-minute sham tDCS treatment and three 60-minute COGMOTION dual-task exercise sessions per week for four consecutive weeks. | Other | sham tDCS combined with dual-task group |
Primary outcome
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait speed
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Gait speed under dual-task walking condition will be recorded
Dual-task self-paced walking--cognitive performance
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Number of correct responses will be measured during dual-task conditions
9 secondary outcomes
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait performance 1
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait performance 2
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait performance 3
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task self-paced walking--cognitive performance 1
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Oxyhemoglobin concentration changes of the brain
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task pedaling--cadence
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Dual-task pedaling--cognitive performance 1
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Blood oxygenation level changes of the brain
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
tDCS adverse event
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing active tDCS with dual-task training in people with Stroke and Cortical Excitability, run by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Prof. Marco PANG (+852 2766 7156, Marco.Pang@polyu.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Dual-task self-paced walking--gait speed (time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Oct 2026.