ArticleBrain sciences2021
Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Enhances Walking Performance and Reduces Spasticity in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.
Article in Brain sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06012110 (Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation for Spasticity in Patients With Primary Lateral Sclerosis), which is not on this map. Cited by 39 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation for Spasticity in Patients With Primary Lateral Sclerosis
Who cites it
39 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation effects on spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury: A systematic review.The journal of spinal cord medicine · 2023Pooled it
- First-in-human study of epidural spinal cord stimulation in individuals with spinal muscular atrophy.Nature medicine · 2025Trial
- Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation combined with robotic-assisted body weight-supported treadmill training enhances motor score and gait recovery in incomplete spinal cord injury: a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Trial
- Optimizing transcutaneous spinal stimulation: excitability of evoked spinal reflexes is dependent on electrode montage.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2025Trial
- Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation for Spasticity in Primary Lateral Sclerosis: A Case Series.Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT · 2026Article
- Article
- Fundamental limitations of kilohertz-frequency carriers in afferent fibre recruitment with transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation.Nature biomedical engineering · 2026Article
- Improving muscle recruitment via multi-electrode transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation using automated selectivity-driven algorithms.APL bioengineering · 2026Article
- Electroceuticals for Paralympic Athletes: A Fair Play and Classification Concern?Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Lumbar enlargement spinal cord stimulation for severe spasticity and motor function improvement after traumatic brain injury: a case report.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2026Article
- Lower limb rehabilitation in chronic incomplete SCI: a randomized controlled trial protocol comparing combined TMS-tSCS neuromodulation vs. tSCS alone.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
- Combined repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation for upper limb recovery in chronic incomplete cervical spinal cord injury: protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Article
- Characteristics of posterior root reflexes evoked by transcutaneous spinal stimulation with various pulse durations.Journal of neurophysiology · 2026Article
- Non-Invasive Cervical Spinal Stimulation and Respiratory Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial with a Partial Crossover Design.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- Transcutaneous stimulation of the cervical spinal cord facilitates motoneuron firing and improves hand-motor function after spinal cord injury.Journal of neurophysiology · 2025Article
- Article
- Multimodal closed-loop strategies for gait recovery after spinal cord injury and stroke via the integration of robotics and neuromodulation.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2025Review
- Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation neuromodulates pre- and postsynaptic inhibition in the control of spinal spasticity.Cell reports. Medicine · 2024Article
- Spinal Cord Transcutaneous Stimulation in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Review Examining Upper Extremity Neuromotor Control, Recovery Mechanisms, and Future Directions.Journal of neurotrauma · 2024Review
- The Influence of Body Position on the Resting Motor Threshold of Posterior Root-Muscle Reflexes Evoked via Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Gait dysfunction and spasticity are common debilitating consequences of multiple sclerosis (MS). Improvements of these motor impairments by lumbar transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) have been demonstrated in spinal cord injury. Here, we explored for the first time the motor effects of lumbar tSCS applied at 50 Hz for 30 min in 16 individuals with MS and investigated their temporal persistence post-intervention. We used a comprehensive protocol assessing walking ability, different presentations of spasticity, standing ability, manual dexterity, and trunk control. Walking ability, including walking speed and endurance, was significantly improved for two hours beyond the intervention and returned to baseline after 24 h. Muscle spasms, clonus duration, and exaggerated stretch reflexes were reduced for two hours, and clinically assessed lower-extremity muscle hypertonia remained at improved levels for 24 h post-intervention. Further, postural sway during normal standing with eyes open was decreased for two hours. No changes were detected in manual dexterity and trunk control. Our results suggest that transcutaneous lumbar SCS can serve as a clinically accessible method without known side effects that holds the potential for substantial clinical benefit across the disability spectrum of MS.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.