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- Title
Transcranial Pulsed-Current Stimulation versus Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients with Disorders of Consciousness: A Pilot, Sham-Controlled Cross-Over Double-Blind Study.
- Authors
Barra, Alice; Rosenfelder, Martin; Mortaheb, Sepehr; Carrière, Manon; Martens, Geraldine; Bodien, Yelena G.; Morales-Quezada, Leon; Bender, Andreas; Laureys, Steven; Thibaut, Aurore; Fregni, Felipe
- Abstract
Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) over the prefrontal cortex can improve signs of consciousness in patients in a minimally conscious state. Transcranial pulsed-current stimulation (tPCS) over the mastoids can modulate brain activity and connectivity in healthy controls. This study investigated the feasibility of tPCS as a therapeutic tool in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) and compared its neurophysiological and behavioral effects with prefrontal tDCS. This pilot study was a randomized, double-blind sham-controlled clinical trial with three sessions: bi-mastoid tPCS, prefrontal tDCS, and sham. Electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral assessments were collected before and after each stimulation session. Post minus pre differences were compared using Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Twelve patients with DoC were included in the study (eight females, four traumatic brain injury, 50.3 ± 14 y.o., 8.8 ± 10.5 months post-injury). We did not observe any side-effects following tPCS, nor tDCS, and confirmed their feasibility and safety. We did not find a significant effect of the stimulation on EEG nor behavioral outcomes for tPCS. However, consistent with prior findings, our exploratory analyses suggest that tDCS induces behavioral improvements and an increase in theta frontal functional connectivity.
- Subjects
TRANSCRANIAL direct current stimulation; CONSCIOUSNESS disorders; PERSISTENT vegetative state; WILCOXON signed-rank test; BRAIN injuries
- Publication
Brain Sciences (2076-3425), 2022, Vol 12, Issue 4, p429
- ISSN
2076-3425
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/brainsci12040429