Peer-Reviewed Publication
Neurotherapeutics2026;23(1):e00844.January 1, 2026Journal Article
Transcranial direct current stimulation is safe and feasible in hyperacute ischemic stroke (DICAST-SF trial).
Matej Slovak1, David Kemlink2, Pavel Dusek2, Petra Rekova2, Vratislav Fabian3, Martin Jurka4, Davide Carone5, Alistair Perry5, George W J Harston6, Evzen Ruzicka2, Dagmar Altmanova4, Lukas Lambert7, Andrea Burgetova4, Helena Knotkova8, Abhishek Datta9, Marom Bikson10, Michael A Nitsche11, Mersedeh Bahr-Hosseini12, Jeffrey L Saver12
1Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. Electronic address: matej.slovak@vfn.cz.
2Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
3Department of Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Prague, Czech Republic.
4Department of Radiology, Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
5Brainomix Limited, Oxford, United Kingdom.
6Oxford University Hospitals NHSFT, Oxford, United Kingdom.
7Department of Radiology, Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Imaging Methods, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
8MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care, New York, NY, United States.
9Soterix Medical Inc., New York, NY, United States.
10Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States.
11Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Bielefeld University, University Hospital OWL, Protestant Hospital of Bethel Foundation, University Clinic of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bielefeld, Germany.
12Department of Neurology and Comprehensive Stroke Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
Abstract
Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (C-tDCS) is a potential neuroprotective method in the hyperacute phase of ischemic stroke. We aimed to assess safety, tolerability, feasibility, and potential efficacy of C-tDCS in stroke patients with salvageable penumbra. DICAST-SF was a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled (3 active: 1 sham), 3 + 3 dose-escalation trial. Inclusion criteria w…
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