ArticleBrain sciences2022
Transcranial Pulsed-Current Stimulation versus Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients with Disorders of Consciousness: A Pilot, Sham-Controlled Cross-Over Double-Blind Study.
Article in Brain sciences, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 6 of them syntheses 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation for disorders of consciousness: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis based on sham-controlled randomized trials.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Pooled it
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex promotes recovery of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of neurology · 2025Pooled it
- Effect of non-invasive brain stimulation on conscious disorder in patients after brain injury: a network meta-analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2023Pooled it
- Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation for patients with disorders of consciousness: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2022Pooled it
- Efficacy of non-pharmacological treatments for prolonged disorders of consciousness: a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in neurologyPooled it
- Repeated tDCS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for acute DoC: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Cognitive and neurophysiological effects of bilateral tDCS neuromodulation in patients with minimally conscious state.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Characterization of responders to transcranial direct current stimulation in disorders of consciousness: A retrospective study of 8 clinical trials.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2025Article
- Electro-Acupuncture to Treat Disorder of Consciousness (AcuDoc): Study Protocol for a Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial.Brain and behavior · 2025Article
- Opportunities and Challenges in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Disorders of Consciousness.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- Cognitive Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Plus Robotic Verticalization in Minimally Conscious State.Biomedicines · 2024Article
- Article
- An update on noninvasive neuromodulation in the treatment of patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2024Review
- A Comparison of the Neuromodulation Effects of Frontal and Parietal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Disorders of Consciousness.Brain sciences · 2023Article
- Brain Metabolic Connectivity Patterns in Patients with Prolonged Disorder of Consciousness after Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury: A Preliminary Study.Brain sciences · 2022Article
- Effectiveness of coma arousal therapy on patients with disorders of consciousness - A systematic review and meta-analysis.Brain circulationReview
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) over the prefrontal cortex can improve signs of consciousness in patients in a minimally conscious state. Transcranial pulsed-current stimulation (tPCS) over the mastoids can modulate brain activity and connectivity in healthy controls. This study investigated the feasibility of tPCS as a therapeutic tool in patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC) and compared its neurophysiological and behavioral effects with prefrontal tDCS. This pilot study was a randomized, double-blind sham-controlled clinical trial with three sessions: bi-mastoid tPCS, prefrontal tDCS, and sham. Electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral assessments were collected before and after each stimulation session. Post minus pre differences were compared using Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Twelve patients with DoC were included in the study (eight females, four traumatic brain injury, 50.3 ± 14 y.o., 8.8 ± 10.5 months post-injury). We did not observe any side-effects following tPCS, nor tDCS, and confirmed their feasibility and safety. We did not find a significant effect of the stimulation on EEG nor behavioral outcomes for tPCS. However, consistent with prior findings, our exploratory analyses suggest that tDCS induces behavioral improvements and an increase in theta frontal functional connectivity.
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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.