Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37250417›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neuroscience2023

A randomised sham-controlled study evaluating rTMS analgesic efficacy for postherpetic neuralgia.

Huan Wang, Yuzhong Hu, Jiayi Deng, Yang Ye, Manli Huang, Xianwei Che, Liang Yu

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in neuroscience, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 14% 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

16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
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  6. Non-invasive brain stimulation for neuropathic orofacial pain: a mini-review.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
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  10. Identifying neural circuitry abnormalities in neuropathic pain with transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalogram co-registration.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2025
    Article
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  12. Review
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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

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Huan WangZhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, China.
Yuzhong HuZhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, China.
Jiayi DengZhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, China.
Yang YeCentre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Manli HuangDepartment of Mental Health, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Xianwei CheCentre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Liang YuZhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, China.
Zhejiang Chinese Medical University · CNAffiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University · CNSir Run Run Shaw Hospital · CNZhejiang University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Context: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a refractory neuropathic pain condition in which new treatment options are being developed. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may have the potential to reduce pain sensations in patients with postherpetic neuralgia. Objectives: This study investigated the efficacy on postherpetic neuralgia by stimulating two potential targets, the motor cortex (M1) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Methods: This is a double-blind, randomised, sham-controlled study. Potential participants were recruited from Hangzhou First People's Hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to either the M1, DLPFC or Sham group. Patients received ten daily sessions of 10-Hz rTMS in 2 consecutive weeks. The primary outcome measure was visual analogue scale (VAS) assessed at baseline, first week of treatment (week 1), post-treatment (week 2), 1-week (week 4), 1-month (week 6) and 3-month (week 14) follow-up. Results: Of sixty patients enrolled, 51 received treatment and completed all outcome assessments. M1 stimulation resulted in a larger analgesia during and after treatment compared to the Sham (week 2 - week 14, Conclusion: M1 rTMS is superior to DLPFC stimulation in treating PHN with excellent pain response and long-term analgesia. Meanwhile, M1 and DLPFC stimulation were equally effective in improving sleep quality in PHN. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2100051963.

Indexed as

DLPFCmotor cortexpostherpetic neuralgiasleepTMS

Identifiers

PMID37250417
PMCPMC10213647
OpenAlexW4376279516

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.