Multiple sclerosis : clinical and laboratory research
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Results from a randomized, sham-controlled trial.
Fatigue is a common and debilitating feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) that remains without reliably effective treatment. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising option for fatigue reduction. We developed a telerehabilitation protocol that delivers tDCS to participants at home using specially designed equipment and real-time supervision (remotely supervised transcranial direct current stimulation (RS-tDCS)). ⋯ In Study 1, there was modest fatigue reduction in the active group (-2.5 ± 7.4 vs -0.2 ± 5.3, p = 0.30, Cohen's d = -0.35). However, in Study 2 there was statistically significant reduction for the active group (-5.6 ± 8.9 vs 0.9 ± 1.9, p = 0.02, Cohen's d = -0.71). tDCS is a potential treatment for MS-related fatigue.