Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30733143›Full record

Trial reportBrain stimulation

Transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation improves locomotor learning in healthy humans.

Oluwole O Awosika, Marco Sandrini, Rita Volochayev, Ryan M Thompson, Nathan Fishman, Tianxia Wu, Mary Kay Floeter, Mark Hallett, Leonardo G Cohen

Open access · greenAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Brain stimulation. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 12% 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.

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

23 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effects of transcutaneous spinal stimulation with gait training on walking-related outcomes in stroke survivors: a systematic review.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
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  20. Cortical and Subcortical Effects of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation in Humans with Tetraplegia.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2020
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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

9 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Oluwole O AwosikaHuman Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, USA; Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati, USA. Electronic address: oluwole.awosika@uc.edu.
Marco SandriniHuman Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK.
Rita VolochayevHuman Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, USA.
Ryan M ThompsonHuman Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, USA.
Nathan FishmanHuman Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, USA.
Tianxia WuClinical Trials Unit, NINDS, USA.
Mary Kay FloeterMotor Neuron Disorders Unit, NINDS, USA.
Mark HallettHuman Motor Control Section, NINDS, USA.
Leonardo G CohenHuman Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section, NINDS, USA.
Center for Speech Pathology and Neurorehabilitation · RUUniversity of Roehampton · GB

Funding

Cortical reorganization and plasticity In the Healthy BrainZIANS002978 · NINDS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE · PI COHEN, LEONARDO GREGORIO · 2009 to 2025
$38.0M
Pathophysiology of Involuntary Movements and Volitional DisordersZIANS002667 · NINDS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE · PI HALLETT, MARK · 2009 to 2023
$17.7M
Physiology of Voluntary MovementZIANS002669 · NINDS · NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE · PI HALLETT, MARK · 2009 to 2023
$15.4M
Intramural NIH HHS ZIA NS002667
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAmbulation is an essential aspect of daily living and is often impaired after brain and spinal cord injuries. Despite the implementation of standard neurorehabilitative care, locomotor recovery is often incomplete.

objectiveIn this randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind, parallel design study, we aimed to determine if anodal transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (anodal tsDCS) could improve training effects on locomotion compared to sham (sham tsDCS) in healthy subjects.

methods43 participants underwent a single backwards locomotion training (BLT) session on a reverse treadmill with concurrent anodal (n = 22) or sham (n = 21) tsDCS. The primary outcome measure was speed gain measured 24 h post-training. We hypothesized that anodal tsDCS + BLT would improve training effects on backward locomotor speed compared to sham tsDCS + BLT. A subset of participants (n = 31) returned for two additional training days of either anodal (n = 16) or sham (n = 15) tsDCS and underwent (n = 29) H-reflex testing immediately before, immediately after, and 30 min post-training over three consecutive days.

resultsA single session of anodal tsDCS + BLT elicited greater speed gain at 24 h relative to sham tsDCS + BLT (p = 0.008, two-sample t-test, adjusted for one interim analysis after the initial 12 subjects). Anodal tsDCS + BLT resulted in higher retention of the acquired skill at day 30 relative to sham tsDCS + BLT (p = 0.002) in the absence of significant group differences in online or offline learning over the three training days (p = 0.467 and p = 0.131). BLT resulted in transient down-regulation of H-reflex amplitude (Hmax/Mmax) in both test groups (p < 0.0001). However, the concurrent application of anodal-tsDCS with BLT elicited a longer lasting effect than sham-tsDCS + BLT (p = 0.050).

conclusiontsDCS improved locomotor skill acquisition and retention in healthy subjects and prolonged the physiological exercise-mediated downregulation of excitability of the alpha motoneuron pool. These results suggest that this strategy is worth exploring in neurorehabilitation of locomotor function.

Indexed as

GaitLearningAdultFemaleH-ReflexHumansMaleSpinal Cord StimulationTranscutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationBackwards locomotionGaitHoffman reflexLocomotor recoveryMotor learningTranscutaneous spinal direct current stimulationtsDCS

Identifiers

PMID30733143
PMCPMC7326485
OpenAlexW2912863036

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
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.