Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28539894›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in psychology2017

Modulation of Brain Activity with Noninvasive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): Clinical Applications and Safety Concerns.

Haichao Zhao, Lei Qiao, Dongqiong Fan, Shuyue Zhang, Ofir Turel, Yonghui Li, Jun Li, Gui Xue, Antao Chen, Qinghua He

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in psychology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05389345 (Effects of Adding Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Executive Function Training for Schizophrenia-spectrum Disorders - a Randomized Control Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 67 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
67citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
7.1field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05389345 nawithdrawnnot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Effects of Adding Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Executive Function Training for Schizophrenia-spectrum Disorders - a Randomized Control Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of TorontoRan2021 to 2023Enrolled0ConditionsSchizophrenia, Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder, Schizophrenia and Related DisordersArmsTranscranial direct current stimulation, Executive function training
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

67 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 143 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Efficacy and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in treatment of refractory epilepsy: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized sham-controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Safety and recommendations for TMS use in healthy subjects and patient populations, with updates on training, ethical and regulatory issues: Expert Guidelines.Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2021
    Guideline
  9. Pooled it
  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Effect of online tDCS to left somatomotor cortex on neuropsychiatric symptoms among older adults at risk for dementia.Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior · 2023
    Trial
  14. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Assess Central Pain Responses in a Nonpharmacologic Treatment Trial of Osteoarthritis.Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging · 2020
    Trial
  15. Trial
  16. Efficacy of non-invasive neuromodulation for chronic tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
    Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

7 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Haichao ZhaoFaculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China.
Lei QiaoFaculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China.
Dongqiong FanFaculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China.
Shuyue ZhangSchool of Education, Guangxi UniversityNanning, China.
Ofir TurelDepartment of Information systems and Decision Sciences, College of Business and Economics, California State University, FullertonFullerton, CA, USA.
Yonghui LiKey Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China.
Jun LiNational Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijing, China.
Gui XueNational Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijing, China.
Antao ChenFaculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China.
Qinghua HeFaculty of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China.
Southwest University · CNBeijing Normal University · CNCalifornia State University, Fullerton · USGuangxi University · CNInstitute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a widely-used tool to induce neuroplasticity and modulate cortical function by applying weak direct current over the scalp. In this review, we first introduce the underlying mechanism of action, the brief history from discovery to clinical scientific research, electrode positioning and montages, and parameter setup of tDCS. Then, we review tDCS application in clinical samples including people with drug addiction, major depression disorder, Alzheimer's disease, as well as in children. This review covers the typical characteristics and the underlying neural mechanisms of tDCS treatment in such studies. This is followed by a discussion of safety, especially when the current intensity is increased or the stimulation duration is prolonged. Given such concerns, we provide detailed suggestions regarding safety procedures for tDCS operation. Lastly, future research directions are discussed. They include foci on the development of multi-tech combination with tDCS such as with TMS and fMRI; long-term behavioral and morphological changes; possible applications in other research domains, and more animal research to deepen the understanding of the biological and physiological mechanisms of tDCS stimulation.

Indexed as

Alzheimer's diseasecognitive neurosciencedecision neurosciencedrug addictionmajor depression disordersafetytranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Identifiers

PMID28539894
PMCPMC5423956
OpenAlexW2612402576

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.