SynthesisCerebellum (London, England)2021
The Efficacy and Safety of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cerebellar Ataxia: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Cerebellum (London, England), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Deep Brain Stimulation for Cerebellar Ataxia: A Systematic Review on Indications, Targets and Outcomes.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Effects and safety of transcranial direct current stimulation on multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review of randomized clinical trials.Molecular psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Degenerative Cerebellar Ataxia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Movement disorders clinical practice · 2024Pooled it
- Posture enhancement with cerebellum transcranial electrical stimulation: a systematic review of current methods and findings.Experimental brain research · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy and Safety of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Cerebellar Ataxia: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2024Pooled it
- Efficacy and safety of noninvasive brain stimulation for patients with cerebellar ataxia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of neurology · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of Anodal Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Movements in Patients with Cerebellar Ataxias: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation on Multiple System Atrophy: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2021Pooled it
- Pragmatic Feasibility Study Combining Cerebello-spinal Neuromodulation and Exercise in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3: A 20-session Single-arm Protocol.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2025Trial
- Differential Effects of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation with Gait Training on Functional Mobility, Balance, and Ataxia Symptoms.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2024Trial
- Comparing Cerebellar tDCS and Cerebellar tACS in Neurodegenerative Ataxias Using Wearable Sensors: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled, Triple-Crossover Trial.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2024Trial
- Motor Improvements Following Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation with kTMP: A Case Study of Cerebellar Stroke.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2026Article
- Motor and Cognitive Improvements Following Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation with kTMP: A Case Study of Cerebellar Stroke.Research square · 2026Article
- Effects of combined cerebellar tACS-iTBS in individuals with ataxia (EtABeta): a crossover investigation.Trials · 2026Article
- Treatment of primary adult-onset neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxias.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2026Review
- Article
- Article
- Effects of non-invasive brain stimulation for degenerative cerebellar ataxia: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2023Article
- Consensus Paper: Ataxic Gait.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2023Article
- Neuromodulation of the cerebellum: the importance of the assessment of the cerebellar reserve.Journal of neurology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
A promising new approach, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has recently been used as a therapeutic modality for cerebellar ataxia. However, the strength of the conclusions drawn from individual studies in the current literature may be constrained by the small sample size of each trial. Following a systematic literature retrieval of studies, meta-analyses were conducted by pooling the standardized mean differences (SMDs) using random-effects models to assess the efficacy of tDCS on cerebellar ataxia, measured by standard clinical rating scales. Domain-specific effects of tDCS on gait and hand function were further evaluated based on 8-m walk and 9-hole peg test performance times, respectively. To determine the safety of tDCS, the incidences of adverse effects were analyzed using risk differences. Out of 293 citations, 5 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 72 participants with cerebellar ataxia were included. Meta-analysis indicated a 26.1% (p = 0.003) improvement in ataxia immediately after tDCS with sustained efficacy over months (28.2% improvement after 3 months, p = 0.04) when compared with sham stimulation. tDCS seems to be domain-specific as the current analysis suggested a positive effect on gait (16.3% improvement, p = 0.04) and failed to reveal differences for hand function (p = 0.10) with respect to sham. The incidence of adverse events in tDCS and sham groups was similar. tDCS is an effective intervention for mitigating ataxia symptoms with lasting results that can be sustained for months. This treatment shows preferential effects on gait ataxia and is relatively safe.
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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.