Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33080122›Full record

Trial reportAnnals of clinical and translational neurology2020

Walking in multiple sclerosis improves with tDCS: a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study.

Giuseppina Pilloni, Claire Choi, Michael T Shaw, Giancarlo Coghe, Lauren Krupp, Marilyn Moffat, Eleonora Cocco, Massimiliano Pau, Leigh Charvet

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

Trial report in Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
26citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 7% 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

26 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on motor function in patients with multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 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

9 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Giuseppina PilloniDepartment of Neurology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6226-5627
Claire ChoiDepartment of Medicine, SUNY Downstate, New York, NY, USA.
Michael T ShawDepartment of Psychology, Binghamton University, New York, NY, USA.
Giancarlo CogheDepartment of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Lauren KruppDepartment of Neurology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
Marilyn MoffatDepartment of Physical Therapy, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
Eleonora CoccoDepartment of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Massimiliano PauDepartment of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Leigh CharvetDepartment of Neurology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4429-9713
University of Cagliari · ITNYU Langone Health · USBinghamton University · USNew York University · USSUNY Downstate Health Sciences University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo evaluate whether multiple sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the primary motor (M1) cortex paired with aerobic exercise can improve walking functions in multiple sclerosis (MS).

methodsMS participants were recruited for a double-blind, parallel-arm, randomized, sham-controlled trial and assigned to 10 sessions (5 d/wk for 2 weeks) of either active or sham tDCS paired with unloaded cycling for 20 minutes. Stimulation was administered over the left M1 cortex (2.5 mA; anode over C3/cathode over FP2). Gait spatiotemporal parameters were assessed using a wearable inertial sensor (10-meter and 2-minute walking tests). Measurements were collected at baseline, end of tDCS intervention, and 4-week postintervention to test for duration of any benefits.

resultsA total of 15 participants completed the study, nine in the active and six in the sham condition. The active and sham groups were matched according to gender (50% vs. 40% female), neurologic disability (median EDSS 5.5 vs. 5), and age (mean 52.1 ± 12.9 vs. 53.7 ± 9.8 years). The active group had a significantly greater increase in gait speed (0.87 vs. 1.20 m/s, p < 0.001) and distance covered during the 2-minute walking test (118.53 vs. 133.06 m, p < 0.001) at intervention end compared to baseline. At 4-week follow-up, these improvements were maintained (baseline vs. follow-up: gait speed 0.87 vs. 1.18 m/s, p < 0.001; distance traveled 118.53 vs. 143.82 m, p < 0.001).

interpretationMultiple sessions of tDCS paired with aerobic exercise lead to cumulative and persisting improvements in walking and endurance in patients with MS.

Indexed as

Exercise TherapyMotor CortexTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultAgedCombined Modality TherapyDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMultiple SclerosisOutcome Assessment, Health CarePlacebosSeverity of Illness IndexWalkingPlacebos

Identifiers

PMID33080122
PMCPMC7664269
OpenAlexW3094189869

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.