Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Versus Pilates Based Core Stability Training on Balance and Gait in Stroke Patients

The ultimate goal for rehabilitation is to enhance functional performance in various essential real life activities. There is a need for a more effective, cost-efficient treatments for balance and gait in stroke patients. Many studies have reported that Pilates exercise has positive effects in development of muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, and in prevention of falls in elderly population and in orthopedic rehabilitation. However, there are only a few studies available with Pilates as intervention in neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and stroke. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Pilates exercise on balance, in post stroke survivors and thereby provide an evidence for further studies in neurological conditions. Transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS) is a promising noninvasive neuromodulatory intervention that aims to maximize recovery of function after stroke. There are numerous arguments to suggest that tDCS may become interesting tools to promote gait and balance improvement in stroke patients. The ability of these techniques to modulate cortical excitability was demonstrated. However, very few study has examined the effect of stimulating the SMA with tDCS on balance and gait performance. Motor learning is crucial in human daily life, both throughout the lifespan as well as for the recovery from a variety of neurological diseases. The ability of both exercise such as pilates and non invasive neuromodulation such as tDCS to modulate cortical excitability and therefore enhance motor learning has been demonstrated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the effect of a Pilates-based core training program and tDCS over the supplementary motor area on balance and gait in stroke patients