Transcranial direct current stimulation for chronic headaches, a randomized, controlled trial.
Front Pain Res (Lausanne)
; 5: 1353987, 2024.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38476353
ABSTRACT
Background and objectives:
Chronic headaches are a frequent cause of pain and disability. The purpose of this randomized trial was to examine whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the primary motor cortex, reduces pain and increases daily function in individuals suffering from primary chronic headache. Materials andmethods:
A prospective, randomized, controlled trial, where participants and assessors were blinded, investigated the effect of active tDCS vs. sham tDCS in chronic headache sufferers. Forty subjects between 18 and 70 years of age, with a diagnosis of primary chronic headache were randomized to either active tDCS or sham tDCS treatment groups. All patients received eight treatments over four consecutive weeks. Anodal stimulation (2â mA) directed at the primary motor cortex (M1), was applied for 30â min in the active tDCS group. Participants in the sham tDCS group received 30â s of M1 stimulation at the start and end of the 30-minute procedure; for the remaining 29â min, they did not receive any stimulation. Outcome measures based on data collected at baseline, after eight treatments and three months later included changes in daily function, pain levels, and medication.Results:
Significant improvements in both daily function and pain levels were observed in participants treated with active tDCS, compared to sham tDCS. Effects lasted up to 12 weeks post-treatment. Medication use remained unchanged in both groups throughout the trial with no serious adverse effects reported.Conclusion:
These results suggest that tDCS has the potential to improve daily function and reduce pain in patients suffering from chronic headaches. Larger randomized, controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings. Trial registration The study was approved by the local ethics committee (2018/2514) and by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data (54483).
Texto completo:
1
Bases de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Front Pain Res (Lausanne)
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Noruega