Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29209270›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neurology2017

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients with Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness: Combined Behavioral and Event-Related Potential Evidence.

Ye Zhang, Weiqun Song, Jubao Du, Su Huo, Guixiang Shan, Ran Li

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Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
45citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

45 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  3. Effect of non-invasive brain stimulation on conscious disorder in patients after brain injury: a network meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2023
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  12. [Guangdong consensus on integrated Chinese and Western medicine management of prolonged disorders of consciousness].Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University · 2026
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  13. Reflections on Consciousness in Intensive Care.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 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

6 authors.

Ye ZhangDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Weiqun SongDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Jubao DuDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Su HuoDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Guixiang ShanDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Ran LiDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuan Wu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe electrophysiological evidence supporting the therapeutic efficacy of multiple transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) sessions on consciousness improvement in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOCs) has not been firmly established.

objectivesTo assess the effects of repeated tDCS in patients with prolonged DOCs by Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) score and event-related potential (ERP).

methodUsing a sham-controlled randomized double-blind design, 26 patients were randomly assigned to either a real [five vegetative state (VS) and eight minimally conscious state (MCS) patients] or sham (six VS and seven MCS patients) stimulation group. The patients in the real stimulation group underwent 20 anodal tDCS sessions of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) over 10 consecutive working days. The CRS-R score and P300 amplitude and latency in a hierarchical cognitive assessment were recorded to evaluate the consciousness level before tDCS and immediately after the 20 sessions.

resultsThe intra-group CRS-R analysis revealed a clinically significant improvement in the MCS patients in the real stimulation group. The inter-group CRS-R analysis showed a significant difference in CRS-R between VS and MCS patients at baseline in both the real and sham stimulation groups. The intra-group ERP analysis revealed a significant increase in P300 amplitude after tDCS in the MCS patients in the real stimulation group, but no significant differences in P300 latency. For the inter-group ERP analysis, we observed significant differences regarding the presence of P300 at baseline between the VS and MCS patients in both groups.

conclusionThe repeated anodal tDCS of the left DLPFC could produce clinically significant improvements in MCS patients. The observed tDCS-related consciousness improvements might be related to improvements in attention resource allocation (reflected by the P300 amplitude). The findings support the use of tDCS in clinical practice and ERP might serve as an efficient electrophysiological assessment tool in patients with DOCs.

Indexed as

coma recovery scale-reviseddisorders of consciousnessevent-related potentialsP300transcranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID29209270
PMCPMC5702306

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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.