Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33070785›Full record

SynthesisPsychological medicine2020

Efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation on cognitive functioning in brain disorders: a meta-analysis.

Marieke J Begemann, Bodyl A Brand, Branislava Ćurčić-Blake, André Aleman, Iris E Sommer

5 registry-linked trialsOpen access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychological medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 5 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 196 papers, 38 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
196citing papers in PubMed, 38 pooled it
12.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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.

NCT05582616 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

The Safety and Feasibility of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Combined With Conservative Treatment for Cervicogenic Headaches

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of CalgaryRan2022 to 2024Enrolled32ConditionsCervicogenic HeadacheArmsTranscranial Direct Current Stimulation, Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
NCT05695144 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

tDCS Combined With rTMS for the Treatment of Negative Symptoms in Patients With Schizophrenia: a Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorTianjin Anding HospitalRan2022 to 2024Enrolled120ConditionsSchizophrenia Negative TypeArmstDCS active stimulation combined with rTMS sham stimulation, rTMS active stimulation combined with tDCS sham stimulation, tDCS active stimulation combined with rTMS active stimulation, tDCS sham stimulation combined with rTMS sham stimulation
NCT06562387 naactive not recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) as Adjunctive Therapy to Cognitive Stimulation in Medical Students With Depression

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversidad Nacional Autonoma de MexicoRan2024 to 2025Enrolled60ConditionsClinical TrialArmstranscranial direct current stimulation, cognitive stimulation, sham transcranial direct current stimulation
NCT06658769 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Prevention of Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction in Elderly with Mild Neurocognitive Disorder

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of Sao Paulo General HospitalRan2024 to 2026Enrolled12ConditionsPostoperative Cognitive DysfunctionArmsTheta Burst Stimulation, Theta Burst Stimulation Sham
NCT06900959 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Transcranial Static Field Stimulation (tSMS) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for the Treatment of Neurological Symptoms

TypeinterventionalSponsorNeuromed IRCCSRan2025 to 2026Enrolled40ConditionsNeurological Diseases or ConditionsArmstranscranial static field stimulation (tSMS) and transcranial (tDCS)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

196 citing papers in PubMed, 38 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 335 citations in OpenAlex.

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  6. 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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  13. TMS and tDCS as potential tools for the treatment of cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
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136 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

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marieke J BegemannDepartment of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neurosciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Bodyl A BrandDepartment of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neurosciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2383-0851
Branislava Ćurčić-BlakeDepartment of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neurosciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
André AlemanDepartment of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neurosciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Iris E SommerDepartment of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neurosciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
University Medical Center Groningen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCognition is commonly affected in brain disorders. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) may have procognitive effects, with high tolerability. This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in improving cognition, in schizophrenia, depression, dementia, Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and multiple sclerosis.

methodsA PRISMA systematic search was conducted for randomized controlled trials. Hedges' g was used to quantify effect sizes (ES) for changes in cognition after TMS/tDCS v. sham. As different cognitive functions may have unequal susceptibility to TMS/tDCS, we separately evaluated the effects on: attention/vigilance, working memory, executive functioning, processing speed, verbal fluency, verbal learning, and social cognition.

resultsWe included 82 studies (n = 2784). For working memory, both TMS (ES = 0.17, p = 0.015) and tDCS (ES = 0.17, p = 0.021) showed small but significant effects. Age positively moderated the effect of TMS. TDCS was superior to sham for attention/vigilance (ES = 0.20, p = 0.020). These significant effects did not differ across the type of brain disorder. Results were not significant for the other five cognitive domains.

conclusionsOur results revealed that both TMS and tDCS elicit a small trans-diagnostic effect on working memory, tDCS also improved attention/vigilance across diagnoses. Effects on the other domains were not significant. Observed ES were small, yet even slight cognitive improvements may facilitate daily functioning. While NIBS can be a well-tolerated treatment, its effects appear domain specific and should be applied only for realistic indications (i.e. to induce a small improvement in working memory or attention).

Indexed as

CognitionMemory, Short-TermAttentionBrain DiseasesHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTranscranial Direct Current StimulationTranscranial Magnetic StimulationBrain disordercognitive dysfunctionnon-invasive brain stimulationprefrontal cortexrepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationtranscranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID33070785
PMCPMC7737055
OpenAlexW3093320036

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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.