Repeated long sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation reduces seizure frequency in patients with refractory focal epilepsy: An open-label extension study.
Epilepsy Behav
; 135: 108876, 2022 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36088785
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Although clinical trials have demonstrated that cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is effective for seizure reduction, its long-term efficacy is unknown. This study aimed to determine the long-term effects of repeated cathodal long tDCS sessions on seizure suppression in patients with refractory epilepsy.METHODS:
Patients were recruited to participate in an extended phase of a previous randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, three-arm, parallel, multicenter study on tDCS. The patients were divided into an active tDCS group (20 min of tDCS per day) and an intensified tDCS group (2 × 20 min of tDCS per day). Each tDCS session lasted 2 weeks and the patients underwent repeated sessions at intervals of 2 to 6 months. The cathode was placed over the epileptogenic focus with the current intensity set as 2 mA. Seizure frequency reduction from baseline was analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for two related samples. A generalized estimating equation model was used to estimate group, time, and interaction effects.RESULTS:
Among the 19 patients who participated in the extended phase, 11 were in the active tDCS group and underwent 2-16 active tDCS sessions, and eight were in the intensified tDCS group and underwent 3-11 intensified tDCS sessions. Seizure reduction was significant from the first to the seventh follow-up, with a median seizure frequency reduction of 41.7%-83.3% (p < 0.05). Compared to the regular tDCS protocol, each intensified tDCS session substantially decreased seizure frequency by 0.3680 (p < 0.05). One patient experienced an increase of 8.5%-232.8% in the total number of seizures during three treatment sessions and follow-ups.CONCLUSION:
Repeated long cathodal tDCS sessions yielded significant and progressive long-term seizure reductions in patients with refractory focal epilepsy.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Epilepsies, Partial
/
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
/
Drug Resistant Epilepsy
Type of study:
Clinical_trials
/
Etiology_studies
/
Guideline
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Epilepsy Behav
Journal subject:
CIENCIAS DO COMPORTAMENTO
/
NEUROLOGIA
Year:
2022
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
China