Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29596524›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and trans-spinal direct current stimulation associated with treadmill exercise in spinal cord and cortical excitability of healthy subjects: A triple-blind, randomized and sham-controlled study.

Plínio Luna Albuquerque, Mayara Campêlo, Thyciane Mendonça, Luís Augusto Mendes Fontes, Rodrigo de Mattos Brito, Katia Monte-Silva

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In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Efficacy of neuromodulation and rehabilitation approaches on pain relief in patients with spinal cord injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
    Pooled it
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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.

Plínio Luna AlbuquerqueApplied Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Mayara CampêloApplied Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Thyciane MendonçaApplied Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Luís Augusto Mendes FontesApplied Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Rodrigo de Mattos BritoApplied Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Katia Monte-SilvaApplied Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0001-7301-2553

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over motor cortex and trans-spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) modulate corticospinal circuits in healthy and injured subjects. However, their associated effects with physical exercise is still not defined. This study aimed to investigate the effect of three different settings of rTMS and tsDCS combined with treadmill exercise on spinal cord and cortical excitability of healthy subjects. We performed a triple blind, randomized, sham-controlled crossover study with 12 healthy volunteers who underwent single sessions of rTMS (1Hz, 20Hz and Sham) and tsDCS (anodal, cathodal and Sham) associated with 20 minutes of treadmill walking. Cortical excitability was assessed by motor evoked potential (MEP) and spinal cord excitability by the Hoffmann reflex (Hr), nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR) and homosynaptic depression (HD). All measures were assessed before, immediately, 30 and 60 minutes after the experimental procedures. Our results demonstrated that anodal tsDCS/treadmill exercise reduced MEP's amplitude and NFR's area compared to sham condition, conversely, cathodal tsDCS/treadmill exercise increased NFR's area. High-frequency rTMS increased MEP's amplitude and NFR's area compared to sham condition. Anodal tsDCS/treadmill exercise and 20Hz rTMS/treadmill exercise reduced Hr amplitude up to 30 minutes after stimulation offset and no changes were observed in HD measures. We demonstrated that tsDCS and rTMS combined with treadmill exercise modulated cortical and spinal cord excitability through different mechanisms. tsDCS modulated spinal reflexes in a polarity-dependent way acting at local spinal circuits while rTMS probably promoted changes in the presynaptic inhibition of spinal motoneurons. In addition, the association of two neuromodulatory techniques induced long-lasting changes.

Indexed as

Transcranial Magnetic StimulationTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationAdolescentAdultCross-Over StudiesEvoked Potentials, MotorExerciseFemaleHealthy VolunteersHumansMaleMotor CortexMuscle, SkeletalSpinal CordYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID29596524
PMCPMC5875883

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Registered trials

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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.