A randomized sham-controlled trial on the effects of dual-tDCS “during” physical therapy on lower limb performance in sub-acute stroke and a comparison to the previous study using a “before” stimulation protocol

Table 2 Raw means data of FTSTS and TUG in seconds expressed as mean ± SEM evaluated at PRE, POST and F/U at 1 week in each group (bolditalic). Differences from PRE (PRE–POST and PRE–F/U) and P value (italic)

Outcome measures	Group	Mean ± SEM (s)			Diffrences from PRE		P value
		Mean ± SEM (s)			Diffrences from PRE		POST		F/U
		PRE	POST	F/U	POST	F/U	overall	Post hoc	overall	Post hoc
FTSTS	Sham	*14.87* ± *1.17*	*14.80* ± *1.13*	*14.71* ± *1.28*	0.06 ± 0.38	0.15 ± 0.66		B > S (P < 0.05)
	During	*16.95* ± *1.37*	*16.60* ± *1.23*	*15.18* ± *0.98*	0.35 ± 0.72	1.77 ± 0.76	P ≤ 0.001^a	B > D (P < 0.05)	P = 0.015^b	B > S (P = 0.011)
	Before	*16.74* ± *1.19*	*13.68* ± *0.87*	*14.49* ± *0.99*	3.06 ± 0.64	2.25 ± 1.02
TUG	Sham	*21.66* ± *3.33*	*21.21* ± *3.16*	*21.06* ± *3.01*	0.45 ± 0.93	0.60 ± 1.24		B > S (P < 0.05)
	During	*22.38* ± *2.67*	*22.15* ± *2.70*	*19.77* ± *2.58*	0.23 ± 1.10	2.61 ± 1.02	P = 0.003^a	B > D (P < 0.05)	P = 0.024^a	B > S (P < 0.05)
	Before	*21.41* ± *2.85*	*17.75* ± *2.01*	*18.53* ± *2.83*	3.66 ± 1.18	2.87 ± 2.10

^aTesting by Kruskal–Wallis one-way ANOVA by ranks
^bTesting by One way ANOVA; S = Sham; D = During; B = Before; PRE: pre-intervention; POST: post-intervention; F/U: follow-up. Significant level at P < 0.005

ISSN: 2052-1847