An interventional study of Active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in Stroke and Neurogenic Overactive Bladder, sponsored by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-26.
Sponsored by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Neurogenic overactive bladder (nOAB) is a common and distressing sequela following stroke, significantly impairing quality of life and imposing a substantial financial burden. Existing pharmacological options often present adverse effects, while standard non-pharmacological treatments, such as pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), face compliance and efficacy limitations in individuals with functional impairments. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique capable of modulating neuronal excitability and cortical plasticity. Targeting the supplementary motor area (SMA) via tDCS may regulate pelvic floor muscle (PFM) and detrusor activities. However, clinical evidence evaluating tDCS as an adjuvant to PFMT for stroke survivors with nOAB is lacking. This randomized controlled pilot trial aims to evaluate the feasibility, preliminary effectiveness, and cost-utility of active tDCS combined with PFMT compared to sham tDCS plus PFMT in stroke survivors suffering from nOAB.
8,255 studies on the registry are indexed under Stroke; 2,056 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 60 is above the median of 49 across 6,024 interventional studies indexed under Stroke.
Browse Stroke studies →The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the lead sponsor of 679 studies on the registry; 257 are open to participants now.
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The criteria were revised on the registry on Oct 26, 2026. See what changed
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
(1) Aged between 18-80 years; (2) having overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms (such as urgency, urine leakage, frequent urination, or frequent night-time urination) after stroke; (3) experiencing moderate (scoring 6-11 points on the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score [OABSS]) to severe OAB (scoring ≥ 12 points on OABSS); and (4) obtaining a (MMSE) score of ≥ 24.
Exclusion Criteria:
(1) a personal or family history of epilepsy or seizures; (2) metallic implants or implanted electronic devices in or near the head, including cochlear implants, intracranial shunts, deep brain stimulation electrodes, surgical clips, staples, or other cranial metallic implants; (3) a cardiac pacemaker or other implanted electronic medical device; (4) increased intracranial pressure, an intracranial tumour, skull abnormalities, previous significant brain injury, or previous brain surgery; (5) skin lesions, infection, broken skin, or marked skin sensitivity at the electrode-placement sites; (6) frequent or severe headaches; (7) serious or unstable medical conditions, or use of medications that may affect brain excitability; (8) a history of substantial alcohol or substance misuse; (9) pregnancy or possible pregnancy; or (10) have received non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., transcranial direct current stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial alternating current stimulation) before.
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
MMSE and MoCA
Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Device: Active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) · Behavioral: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT)
Device: Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) · Behavioral: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT)
Participants will receive active tDCS (1.5 mA for 20 minutes; current density 0.06 mA/cm²) 3 times per week for 8 weeks. tDCS will be conducted using two 5 x 7 cm² surface electrodes connected to a battery-powered stimulator (Neuroelectrics Instrument Controller, v 2.0). The anodal electrode will be placed over the supplementary motor area, and the cathodal electrode over the contralateral supraorbital region.
Participants will receive sham tDCS (active current for 30 seconds, then turned off) 3 times per week for 8 weeks. tDCS will be conducted using two 5 x 7 cm² surface electrodes connected to a battery-powered stimulator (Neuroelectrics Instrument Controller, v 2.0). The anodal electrode will be placed over the supplementary motor area, and the cathodal electrode over the contralateral supraorbital region.
Immediately following tDCS, participants will receive supervised, individual (1:1) PFMT for 30 minutes per session, consisting of pelvic floor contraction exercises (contracting the urethra/shortening the penis and controlling passage of gas), each held for 10 seconds and followed by 10 seconds of relaxation. PFMT will be performed 3 times per week for 8 weeks.
Overactive bladder symptoms severity
Overactive bladder symptoms severity will be assessed using Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS). The total score of OABSS ranges from 0 to 15, with a higher score indicating higher symptom severity.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention at 8 weeks
Recruitment Rate
Number of participants recruited and screened per week during the recruitment period. The unit of measure is participants/week.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Time to Complete Recruitment
Total time required to recruit the full study sample. The unit of measure is weeks.
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 year.
Retention Rate
Percentage of enrolled participants who complete assessments at 8 weeks post-intervention, calculated as (number completing 8-week assessment / number enrolled) × 100. The unit of measure is %.
Time frame: Baseline to 8 weeks
Adherence to Intervention
Percentage of total prescribed intervention sessions attended, calculated as (number of sessions attended / number of sessions prescribed) × 100. The unit of measure is %.
Time frame: Baseline to 8 weeks
Adverse Events
Number of participants in each group who experience adverse events, monitored throughout the intervention.
Time frame: Baseline to 8 weeks
Incontinence-related quality of life
Incontinence-related quality of life will be assessed using the Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire (I-QoL). The I-QoL score ranges from 0-100, with higher scores indicating higher quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention at 8 weeks
Detrusor Wall Thickness
Detrusor wall thickness measured using the Mindray Consona N9 ultrasound system (Sonos Medical Limited) with a convex transducer of 3-6 MHz. An increase in detrusor wall thickness indicates detrusor overactivity. The unit of measure is millimeter (mm).
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention at 8 weeks
Bladder Neck Elevation
Bladder neck elevation, a surrogate measure of pelvic floor muscle strength, will be measured using the Mindray Consona N9 ultrasound system (Sonos Medical Limited). Greater bladder neck elevation indicates stronger pelvic floor muscle strength. The unit of measure is millimeter (mm).
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention at 8 weeks
Health-Related Quality of Life
Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) questionnaire. The score ranges from -0.864 to 1.0, where 1.0 indicates full health and higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention at 8 weeks
Healthcare Costs
Healthcare Costs will be collected using the Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI) to calculate total healthcare-related costs per participant from both healthcare provider and societal perspectives. The unit of measure is Hong Kong Dollars (HKD).
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention at 8 weeks.
Plan to share: No — Because the IPD will contain sensitive privacy data of the participants, it will not be suitable to be shared.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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