Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33299136›Full record

ReviewMolecular psychiatry2021

tDCS peripheral nerve stimulation: a neglected mode of action?

Luuk van Boekholdt, Silke Kerstens, Ahmad Khatoun, Boateng Asamoah, Myles Mc Laughlin

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 5 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.

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

42 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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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

5 authors.

Luuk van BoekholdtExp ORL, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5809-8379
Silke KerstensExp ORL, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4470-1012
Ahmad KhatounExp ORL, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1129-4772
Boateng AsamoahExp ORL, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Myles Mc LaughlinExp ORL, Department of Neuroscience, Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. myles.mclaughlin@kuleuven.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8574-1841

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation method widely used by neuroscientists and clinicians for research and therapeutic purposes. tDCS is currently under investigation as a treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders. Despite its popularity, a full understanding of tDCS's underlying neurophysiological mechanisms is still lacking. tDCS creates a weak electric field in the cerebral cortex which is generally assumed to cause the observed effects. Interestingly, as tDCS is applied directly on the skin, localized peripheral nerve endings are exposed to much higher electric field strengths than the underlying cortices. Yet, the potential contribution of peripheral mechanisms in causing tDCS's effects has never been systemically investigated. We hypothesize that tDCS induces arousal and vigilance through peripheral mechanisms. We suggest that this may involve peripherally-evoked activation of the ascending reticular activating system, in which norepinephrine is distributed throughout the brain by the locus coeruleus. Finally, we provide suggestions to improve tDCS experimental design beyond the standard sham control, such as topical anesthetics to block peripheral nerves and active controls to stimulate non-target areas. Broad adoption of these measures in all tDCS experiments could help disambiguate peripheral from true transcranial tDCS mechanisms.

Indexed as

Transcranial Direct Current StimulationBrainHumansPeripheral Nerves

Identifiers

PMID33299136

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.