Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
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The ability to selectively up- or downregulate interregional brain connectivity would be useful for research and clinical purposes. Toward this aim, cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) protocols have been developed in which two areas are repeatedly stimulated with a millisecond-level asynchrony. However, ccPAS results in humans using bifocal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have been variable, and the mechanisms remain unproven. In this study, our goal was to test whether ccPAS mechanism is spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). ⋯ The results support the idea that ccPAS induces STDP and may selectively up- or downregulate effective connectivity between targeted regions in the human brain.
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Review Meta Analysis
The Analgesic Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression of Potential Influencers of Clinical Effect.
There is tentative evidence to support the analgesic effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in fibromyalgia (FM), with large variability in the effect size (ES) encountered in different clinical trials. Understanding the source of the variability and exploring how it relates to the clinical results could characterize effective neuromodulation protocols and ultimately guide care in FM pain. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of tDCS in FM pain as compared with sham tDCS. The secondary objective was to explore the relationship of methodology, population, and intervention factors and the analgesic effect of tDCS in FM. ⋯ Results suggest an analgesic effect of tDCS in FM. tDCS protocols that last four weeks or more may be associated with larger ESs. Definite conclusions are inadequate given the large heterogeneity and limited quality of evidence of the included studies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
High-Definition Transcranial Infraslow Pink-Noise Stimulation Can Influence Functional and Effective Cortical Connectivity in Individuals With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pilot Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study.
Pain can be regarded as an emergent property of multiple interacting, dynamically changing brain networks and thus needs a targeted treatment approach. A novel high-definition transcranial infraslow pink-noise stimulation (HD-tIPNS) technique was developed to modulate the key hubs of the three main nociceptive pathways simultaneously, ie, the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) (descending inhibitory pathway), the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) (medial nociceptive pathway), and both somatosensory cortices (S1) (lateral nociceptive pathway). This study aimed to evaluate safety and verify whether a single session of HD-tIPNS may disrupt functional and effective connectivity between targeted cortical regions. ⋯ The Clinicaltrials.gov registration number for the study is ACTRN12621001438842.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Primary Motor Cortex in Women With Fibromyalgia: A Randomized, Triple-Blind Clinical Trial.
The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of ten sessions of active transcranial direct current stimulation transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) (2 mA) with 13:20:13 stimulation at M1 in women with fibromyalgia (FM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first article that uses this protocol in patients with FM. The main hypothesis is that the protocol would be effective in decreasing pain and that the results would last for up to 90 days. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that active tDCS with an intensity of 2 mA for ten sessions was effective in decreasing pain and fatigue and improving QoL in patients with FM.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of Prefrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Retention of Performance Gains on an Obstacle Negotiation Task in Older Adults.
Complex walking in older adults can be improved with task practice and might be further enhanced by pairing transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We tested the hypothesis that a single session of practice of a complex obstacle negotiation task paired with active tDCS in older adults would produce greater within-session improvements in walking performance and retention of gains, compared to sham tDCS and no tDCS conditions. ⋯ The Clinicaltrials.gov registration number for the study is NCT03122236.