After stroke, it is common for individuals to have difficulty attending to the affected side of their body or to the affected side of space (neglect). Rehabilitation therapists use many different clinical assessments to measure this inattention. However, it is unclear whether items from some of the most commonly used assessments are able to effectively and comprehensively measure inattention. Rehabilitation therapists use clinical assessments to inform treatment and document patient progress. Therefore, it is important that we examine these existing assessments.

Individuals with neglect frequently experience weakness in their arm/hand. This study also examines the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation (transcranial direct current stimulation) and arm/hand rehabilitation training (repetitive task-specific practice) on excitability in the brain, attention, and arm movement ability.

It is common for stroke survivors to have difficulty attending to the affected side of their body or to the affected side of space after stroke (unilateral neglect). Individuals with neglect frequently experience weakness in their arm/hand also. The purpose of this study is to test the effects of 3 different rehabilitation training sessions that combine non-invasive brain stimulation (transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS) with arm/hand rehabilitation training (repetitive task-specific practice, RTP). This study is designed to determine the effects of tDCS + RTP on the excitability in the brain, attention to the affected side, and arm movement ability.

Many individuals have difficulty attending to the affected side of their body or to the affected side of space after stroke. Although a number of clinical assessments are used to measure this inattention, it is unclear whether items from some of the most commonly used assessments are able to effectively and comprehensively measure inattention. Clinical assessments provide critical information to clinicians and researchers and are used to inform treatment and document patient progress. Therefore, it is important that we more closely examine these existing assessments.

Individuals who demonstrate impaired attention to the affected side after stroke also have greater motor impairment than individuals who do not have impaired attention, but we do not know how inattention affects reaching movements using the impaired arm.

This study will examine various methods used to assess inattention to the affected side after stroke and also examine how inattention affects reaching movements of the impaired arm.