Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33319846›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2020

Transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation shows no effect on paired stimulation suppression of the somatosensory cortex.

Jan H Bettmann, Christine H Meyer-Frießem, Lauren M Schweizer, Lara Schlaffke, Peter K Zahn, Martin Tegenthoff, Oliver Höffken

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.1field-weighted citation impact, top 50% 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

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 4 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
    Pooled it
  2. Article
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

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Jan H BettmannDepartment of Neurology, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
Christine H Meyer-FrießemDepartment of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Management, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany. christine.meyer-friessem@rub.de.
Lauren M SchweizerDepartment of Neurology, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
Lara SchlaffkeDepartment of Neurology, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
Peter K ZahnDepartment of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Management, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
Martin TegenthoffDepartment of Neurology, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
Oliver HöffkenDepartment of Neurology, BG-Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany.
BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) is a safe and convenient method of neuromodulation. It has been proven to alter sensory processing at cervicomedullary level by amplitude changes of the P30 response of tibial nerve somatosensory evoked potentials (TN SEPs). With knowledge that tsDCS affects cortical circuits, we hypothesized that tsDCS may also affect intracortical excitability of the somatosensory cortex assessed by paired stimulation suppression (PSS). Fourteen healthy men were included in this prospective, single-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study. Single (SS) and paired stimulation (PS) TN SEPs were recorded over the scalp before, immediately as well as 30 and 60 min after applying 15 min of tsDCS over the twelfth thoracic vertebra. Each volunteer underwent three independent and randomized sessions of either cathodal, anodal or sham stimulation. tsDCS showed no effect on peak-to-peak amplitudes or latencies of cortical P40-N50 response after SS. Furthermore, tsDCS failed to induce significant changes on amplitude ratios of PSS, thus showing no impact on intracortical excitability of the somatosensory cortex in healthy subjects. Further research is required to reveal the different mechanisms and to strengthen clinical use of this promising technique.

Indexed as

Transcutaneous Electric Nerve StimulationEvoked Potentials, SomatosensoryHumansMaleReaction TimeSomatosensory CortexSpineYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID33319846
PMCPMC7738485
OpenAlexW3110894827

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.