Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28665989›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2017

Addition of transcranial direct current stimulation to quadriceps strengthening exercise in knee osteoarthritis: A pilot randomised controlled trial.

Wei-Ju Chang, Kim L Bennell, Paul W Hodges, Rana S Hinman, Carolyn L Young, Valentina Buscemi, Matthew B Liston, Siobhan M Schabrun

5 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 5 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 56 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 7% 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.

NCT03681613 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2019, after this paper: background citation

Randomized Controlled Trial of Exercise Therapy in Combination With Central Nervous System-targeted Treatment Compared With Exercise Therapy Alone for Treatment of People With Knee Osteoarthritis

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of ValenciaRan2019 to 2022Enrolled121ConditionsOsteoarthritis, Osteo Arthritis KneeArmsNEMEX program combined with a CNS-focused protocol, NEMEX program
NCT04321655 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Reduce Pain and Improve Quality of Life in Patient With Knee Osteoarthritis by Light, Sound and Brain Stimulation

TypeinterventionalSponsorAsir John SamuelRan2022 to 2023Enrolled160ConditionsKnee OsteoarthritisArmsHigh Intensity LASER Therapy (HILT), Ibuprofen Gel Phonophoresis (IGP), Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Conventional Physiotherapy (CPT)
NCT04579952 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Exercise Versus Sham tDCS and Exercise on Pain Control in Chronic Painful Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA)

TypeinterventionalSponsorIstituto Ortopedico RizzoliRan2021 to 2024Enrolled54ConditionsPain, ChronicArmstranscranial Direct Current Stimulation
NCT06228573 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Combining Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Yoga for Improved Pain Management for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot and Feasibility Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorMcMaster UniversityRan2024 to 2026Enrolled68ConditionsKnee OsteoarthritisArmsYoga
NCT06965946 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effectiveness of Combining Intermittent Hypoxia-Hyperoxia and Conventional Physical Therapy for Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorKhyber Medical University PeshawarRan2025 to 2026Enrolled60ConditionsOsteo Arthritis KneeArmsIntermittent Hypoxia-Hyperoxia Therapy (IHHT), Conventional Physical Therapy, Normoxic Air Placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 100 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Brain stimulation targets for chronic pain: Insights from meta-analysis, functional connectivity and literature review.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2024
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  12. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for chronic pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
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  13. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for chronic pain.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
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  14. Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Individualized Physical Therapy on Pain and Function in Individuals With Chronic Knee Pain: A Pilot Study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapy · 2026
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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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Wei-Ju ChangSchool of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Kim L BennellSchool of Health Sciences, Melbourne, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Paul W HodgesSchool of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Rana S HinmanSchool of Health Sciences, Melbourne, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Carolyn L YoungSchool of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Valentina BuscemiSchool of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Matthew B ListonSchool of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Siobhan M SchabrunSchool of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9083-3107
Western Sydney University · AUThe University of Melbourne · AUThe University of Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A randomised, assessor- and participant-blind, sham-controlled trial was conducted to assess the safety and feasibility of adding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to quadriceps strengthening exercise in knee osteoarthritis (OA), and provide data to inform a fully powered trial. Participants were randomised to receive active tDCS+exercise (AT+EX) or sham tDCS+exercise (ST+EX) twice weekly for 8 weeks whilst completing home exercises twice per week. Feasibility, safety, patient-perceived response, pain, function, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) were assessed before and after treatment. Fifty-seven people were screened for eligibility. Thirty (52%) entered randomisation and 25 (84%) completed the trial. One episode of headache in the AT+EX group was reported. Pain reduced in both groups following treatment (AT+EX: p<0.001, partial η2 = 0.55; ST+EX: p = 0.026, partial η2 = 0.18) but no between-group differences were observed (p = 0.18, partial η2 = 0.08). Function improved in the AT+EX (p = 0.01, partial η2 = 0.22), but not the ST+EX (p = 0.16, partial η2 = 0.08) group, between-group differences did not reach significance (p = 0.28, partial η2 = 0.052). AT+EX produced greater improvements in PPTs than ST+EX (p<0.05) (superolateral knee: partial η2 = 0.17; superior knee: partial η2 = 0.3; superomedial knee: partial η2 = 0.26). CPM only improved in the AT+EX group but no between-group difference was observed (p = 0.054, partial η2 = 0.158). This study provides the first feasibility and safety data for the addition of tDCS to quadriceps strengthening exercise in knee OA. Our data suggest AT+EX may improve pain, function and pain mechanisms beyond that of ST+EX, and provides support for progression to a fully powered randomised controlled trial.

Indexed as

Electric StimulationAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOsteoarthritis, KneePilot ProjectsQuadriceps Muscle

Identifiers

PMID28665989
PMCPMC5493377
OpenAlexW2725444304

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.