Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Research Centre, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Neurology Ward, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosar Hospital, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Clin Rehabil. 2020 Aug;34(8):1103-1111. doi: 10.1177/0269215520921506. Epub 2020 May 12.
To compare the effects of anodal trans-cranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) over primary motor and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices on Fatigue Severity Scale and its lasting effect on fatigue reduction and improvement in quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis.
A randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled parallel clinical trial study.
Neurological physiotherapy clinics.
Thirty-nine participants were randomly assigned to three groups: dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a-tDCS, primary motor a-tDCS (experimental groups) and sham a-tDCS. Finally, 36 participants completed the whole study ( = 12 in each group).
Participants in the experimental groups received six-session a-tDCS (1.5 mA, 20 minutes) during two weeks (three sessions per week). The sham group received six sessions of 20-minute sham stimulation.
The Fatigue Severity Scale and quality of life were assessed before, immediately and four weeks after the intervention.
Findings indicated a significant reduction in the Fatigue Severity Scale and a significant increase in the quality of life in both experimental groups, immediately after the intervention ( < 0.001), while Fatigue Severity Scale and quality of life changes were not significant in the sham a-tDCS group ( > 0.05). In addition, improvement of the variables remained four weeks after the intervention in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a-tDCS (mean differences (95% confidence interval): 0.03 (-0.63 to 0.68) as compared to primary motor (-0.62 (-0.11 to -1.14) and sham a-tDCS groups (-0.47 (-1.37 to 0.43)).
Both primary motor and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a-tDCS as compared to sham intervention can immediately improve fatigue and quality of life. However, the effects last up to four weeks only by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a-tDCS.
比较经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）阳极刺激初级运动皮质和背外侧前额叶皮质对多发性硬化症患者疲劳严重程度量表（FSS）的影响，以及对疲劳减轻和生活质量改善的持续效果。
随机、双盲、假刺激对照的平行临床试验研究。
神经物理治疗诊所。
39 名参与者被随机分配到三组：背外侧前额叶皮质 tDCS、初级运动皮质 tDCS（实验组）和假刺激 tDCS（假刺激组）。最后，36 名参与者完成了整个研究（每组 12 名）。
实验组参与者在两周内接受六次 tDCS（1.5 mA，20 分钟）（每周三次）。假刺激组接受六次 20 分钟的假刺激。
在干预前、干预即刻和干预后四周评估疲劳严重程度量表和生活质量。
研究结果表明，两组在干预即刻后疲劳严重程度量表明显减轻，生活质量明显提高（均<0.001），而假刺激 tDCS 组疲劳严重程度量表和生活质量变化不显著（均>0.05）。此外，在背外侧前额叶皮质 tDCS 组，干预后四周这些变量仍有改善（平均差异（95%置信区间）：0.03（-0.63 至 0.68）与初级运动皮质（-0.62（-0.11 至 -1.14）和假刺激 tDCS 组（-0.47（-1.37 至 0.43）相比）。
与假刺激干预相比，初级运动皮质和背外侧前额叶皮质 tDCS 均能即刻改善疲劳和生活质量。然而，只有背外侧前额叶皮质 tDCS 的效果能持续到四周。
