Trial reportPsychophysiology2025
Investigating the Effects of Anodal Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation at Low Frequencies (0.5 to 5 Hz) on Corticospinal and Corticocortical Excitability.
Trial report in Psychophysiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
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.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The mechanism underlying transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) as a non-invasive neuromodulation technique has garnered considerable attention in recent years. However, the effects of anodal tPCS (a-tPCS) at low frequencies remain unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the a-tPCS effects at 0.5, 1, 3, and 5 Hz on cortical outcomes and its adverse side effects. This double-blinded, randomized, counterbalanced crossover trial included 18 healthy young participants who completed five experimental sessions with 2 mA of a-tPCS for 20 min in a randomized order of frequencies (0.5, 1, 3, and 5 Hz). Single-pulse and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the left primary motor cortex (M1) was delivered before and immediately after the stimulation at rest. Sessions were spaced at least 48 h apart to minimize carry-over effects. The results indicated that a single session of a-tPCS at frequencies of 1, 3, and 5 Hz significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced corticospinal excitability (CSE), while 0.5 Hz decreased CSE compared to sham stimulation. The CSE changes at 1 and 5 Hz were associated with increased intracortical facilitation (ICF), with reduced adverse effects observed at higher frequencies. In contrast, the cortical effects of 0.5 Hz were linked to increased short intracortical inhibition (SICI) with minimal side effects. However, all frequencies except 0.5 Hz were associated with phosphenes or flashing lights during stimulation. Given the similar effects of a-tPCS with other pulsatile current stimulation, it is plausible that tPCS could serve as a complementary or superior alternative to TMS, particularly for at-risk and diverse patient populations. However, this claim needs further comparative studies before suggesting clinical superiority for epilepsy and neuro-rehabilitation. Furthermore, like other neuromodulation techniques, tPCS shows potential as an affordable, home-based treatment option. Further research is needed to establish the efficacy of tPCS relative to TMS methodologies through rigorous experimental testing.
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