EFEK TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION (tDCS) TERHADAP FUNGSI KOGNITIF DAN DELTA THETA ALPHA BETA RATIO (DTABR) PADA PASIEN STROKE ISKEMIK

Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a consequence of ischemic stroke, reducing independence and life quality. Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may improve cognition, evidence linking quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to outcomes is limited. This study evaluated tDCS effects on DTABR and MoCA-INA performance. Materials and Methods: This prospective quasi-experimental single-blind pretest–posttest study included 30 patients with PSCI allocated to an intervention group (n = 15) or a sham control group (n = 15). The intervention group received active tDCS (2 mA, 20 minutes/session, 10 sessions over two weeks), while the control group received sham stimulation. Cognitive function was assessed using MoCA-INA and neurophysiological changes were evaluated using qEEG before and after intervention. Results: Active tDCS reduced slow-wave activity, increased alpha–beta activity, and significantly decreased global DTABR compared with sham stimulation (1.16 ± 0.58 vs. 3.97 ± 3.12, p = 0.004). Median MoCA-INA scores increased from 20,00 to 25,00 in the intervention group, compared with 18,00 to 20,00 in the control group (p=0,012). Significant within-group cognitive improvement was observed only after active tDCS (p = 0.001). Compared with sham stimulation, active tDCS produced greater improvements in visuospatial/executive function, attention, language, delayed recall and orientation. Conclusion: Active tDCS improved both neurophysiological and cognitive outcomes in patients with PSCI, as demonstrated by reduced global DTABR and enhanced MoCA-INA performance. These findings support tDCS as a promising adjunctive neuromodulation strategy for post-stroke cognitive rehabilitation.