Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30214966›Full record

ReviewClinical neurophysiology practice2017

Adverse events of tDCS and tACS: A review.

Hideyuki Matsumoto, Yoshikazu Ugawa

6 registry-linked trialsAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Clinical neurophysiology practice, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 6 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 176 papers, 21 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
176citing papers in PubMed, 21 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.

NCT04437251 naunknown statusnot on this map

Effect of Brain Stimulation on Motor Skill Acquisition in Stroke Survivors and Healthy Adults

TypeinterventionalSponsorTexas Woman's UniversityRan2014 to 2024Enrolled180ConditionsVascular Accident, Brain, CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident), Gait, Hemiplegic, Spastic Lower Extremity WeaknessArmsTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
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
NCT05845164 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Impulsivity Mediation Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Paired With Acceptance Commitment Therapy as an Adjunctive Therapy for Substance Use Disorder

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of ArizonaRan2023 to 2023Enrolled30ConditionsSubstance Use Disorders, Substance Abuse, Substance UseArmstDCS, tDCS Sham
NCT05934903 naterminatednot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Feasibility Study: tDCS for Treatment of Refractory Status Epilepticus

TypeinterventionalSponsorYale UniversityRan2023 to 2025Enrolled4ConditionsStatus Epilepticus, Refractory Status EpilepticusArmsTranscranial Direct Current Stimulation
NCT06048159 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

TACS for the Recovery of Phonological STM After Stroke

TypeinterventionalSponsorMedical College of WisconsinRan2023 to 2033Enrolled120ConditionsStroke, AphasiaArmsHD-tACS, Sham HD-tACS
NCT06634771 naterminatednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Frontal E/I Balance Mediation of tACS Effects on Behavioral Flexibility

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel HillRan2024 to 2025Enrolled7ConditionsBehavioral Flexibility, Healthy Volunteers, High Risk Alcohol UseArms10 Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), sham transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

176 citing papers in PubMed, 21 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  4. Effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation on cognitive function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
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116 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

2 authors.

Hideyuki MatsumotoDepartment of Neurology, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, Japan.
Yoshikazu UgawaDepartment of Neurology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) have been applied to many research issues because these stimulation techniques can modulate neural activity in the human brain painlessly and non-invasively with weak electrical currents. However, there are no formal safety guidelines for the selection of stimulus parameters in either tDCS or tACS. As a means of gathering the information that is needed to produce safety guidelines, in this article, we summarize the adverse events of tDCS and tACS. In both stimulation techniques, most adverse effects are mild and disappear soon after stimulation. Nevertheless, several papers have reported that, in tDCS, some adverse events persist even after stimulation. The persistent events consist of skin lesions similar to burns, which can arise even in healthy subjects, and mania or hypomania in patients with depression. Recently, one paper reported a pediatric patient presenting with seizure after tDCS, although the causal relationship between stimulation and seizure is not clear. As this seizure is the only serious adverse events yet reported in connection with tDCS, tDCS is considered safe. In tACS, meanwhile, no persistent adverse events have been reported, but considerably fewer reports are available on the safety of tACS than on the safety of tDCS. Therefore, to establish the safety of tDCS and tACS, we need to scan the literature continuously for information on the adverse events of both stimulation techniques. Further safety investigations are also required.

Indexed as

Adverse effectEEG, electroencephalographyMRI, magnetic resonance imagingNSE, neuron specific enolaserTMS, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationSafetySide effecttACS, transcranial alternating current stimulationtDCS, transcranial direct current stimulationTranscranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Identifiers

PMID30214966
PMCPMC6123849

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.