Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30059026›Full record

ArticleJournal of visualized experiments : JoVE2018

Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Device Development: An Updated Protocol Used at Home in Healthy Subjects and Fibromyalgia Patients.

Fabiana Carvalho, Aline Patrícia Brietzke, Assunta Gasparin, Franciele Pereira Dos Santos, Rafael Vercelino, Rafael Firmino Ballester, Paulo Roberto Stefani Sanches, Danton Pereira da Silva, Iraci L S Torres, Felipe Fregni and 1 more

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PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 2 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

27 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  4. Home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for bipolar depression: effects on quality of life and functioning-an open-label study.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 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

11 authors.

Fabiana CarvalhoPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS); Laboratory of Pain & Neuromodulation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA).
Aline Patrícia BrietzkePost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS); Laboratory of Pain & Neuromodulation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA).
Assunta GasparinPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS); Laboratory of Pain & Neuromodulation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA).
Franciele Pereira Dos SantosLaboratory of Pain & Neuromodulation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA); School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).
Rafael VercelinoFaculdade de Desenvolvimento do Rio Grande do Sul (FADERGS), Health and Wellness School Laureate International Universities.
Rafael Firmino BallesterLaboratory of Pain & Neuromodulation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA); School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).
Paulo Roberto Stefani SanchesBiomedical Engineering Department, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA).
Danton Pereira da SilvaBiomedical Engineering Department, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA).
Iraci L S TorresPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS); Pharmacology Department, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).
Felipe FregniDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School; Spaulding Neuromodulation Center, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
Wolnei CaumoPost-Graduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS); Laboratory of Pain & Neuromodulation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA); Pain and Palliative Care Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA); Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS); wcaumo@hcpa.edu.br.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) method, which modulates the membrane potential of neurons in the cerebral cortex by a low-intensity direct current. tDCS is a low-cost technique with minimal adverse effects and easy application. This neurostimulation method has a promising future to improve pain therapy, treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, and physical rehabilitation. Current studies demonstrate the benefits of using tDCS over consecutive multiple sessions. However, the daily displacement to the specialized centers, travel costs, and disruptions to daily activities are some of the difficulties faced by patients. Thus, to be more comfortable, easy-to-use, and not disrupt daily commitments, a home-based tDCS was designed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a portable tDCS device for home use in healthy subjects and fibromyalgia patients. Despite increased tDCS use and a reasonably large body of research on the effects across a range of clinical conditions, there is a limited amount of research on developing secure devices that guarantee the dose and contain a block system to avoid excessive use. Therefore, we used a tDCS device with a security system to permit daily use for 20 minutes with a minimal interval of 12 hours between sessions. A programmer preconfigures the equipment, which has a neoprene cap that allows the electrode positions in any assembly, according to individualized protocols for treatments or research. After, researchers can assess the effectiveness of treatment, and its adherence using information kept in the device software. Results suggest that the device is feasible for home use, with proper monitoring of adherence and contact impedance. There were reports of a few adverse effects, which do not differ from those reported in the literature in studies with the treatment under direct supervision.

Indexed as

BrainFemaleFibromyalgiaHealthy VolunteersHumansMaleTranscranial Direct Current Stimulation

Identifiers

PMID30059026
PMCPMC6126460

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.