ArticlePloS one2023
Exploring sensory, motor, and pain responses as potential side or therapeutic effects of sub-2 mA, 400 Hz transcranial pulsed current stimulation.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06999876 (The Effect of Combined Transcranial Pulse Current Stimulation), which is not on this map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
The Effect of Combined Transcranial Pulse Current Stimulation (tPCS) and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on Lower Limb Motor Function in Subacute to Chronic Stroke Patients With Hemiplegia: A Double-blind, Sham-controlled, Randomized Controlled Study
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effects of a Single Session 400 Hz Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation on Corticospinal and Corticocortical Excitability and Hand Dexterity: A Double-Blind RCT.Psychophysiology · 2025Trial
- Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation and Social Functioning in Children With Autism: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- Cerebellar High Frequency Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation Increases Total Sleep Time in Chronic Insomnia: A Pilot Study.Research square · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVarious brain stimulation devices capable of generating high-frequency currents are readily available. However, our comprehension of the potential side or therapeutic effects associated with high-frequency transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS), particularly concerning the new 400 Hz tPCS device, AscenZ-IV Stimulator, developed by AscenZion Neuromodulation Co. Pte. Ltd. in Singapore, remains incomplete.
objectiveThis study examines preliminary parameters for the safe and comfortable application of 400 Hz tPCS at intensities below 2 mA.
methodsIn a cross-sectional study, 45 healthy participants underwent sub-2 mA 400 Hz tPCS to assess sensory, motor, and pain thresholds on the dominant side. Study 1 (N = 15) targeted the primary motor cortex of the right-hand area, while study 2 (N = 30) focused on the back of the right forearm.
resultsStudy one showed that increasing the current intensity gradually resulted in no responses at sub-0.3 mA levels, but higher intensities (p < 0.001) induced sensory perception and pain responses. Study two replicated these findings and additionally induced motor responses along with the sensory and pain responses.
conclusionDespite the theoretical classification of tPCS as a subsensory level of stimulation, and the expectation that individuals receiving this type of current should not typically feel its application on the body, this high-frequency tPCS device generates different levels of stimulation due to the physiological phenomenon known as temporal summation. These novel levels of stimulation could be viewed as either potential "side-effects" of high frequency tPCS or as additional "therapeutic benefits". This dual capacity may position the device as one that generates both neuromodulatory and neurostimulatory currents. Comprehensive comprehension of this is vital for the development of therapeutic protocols that incorporate high-frequency tPCS.
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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.