Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic review
BackgroundChronic pain is common, disruptive, and often treatment-resistant. Hence, researchers and clinicians seek alternative therapies for chronic pain. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is an emerging neuromodulation technique that non-invasively modulates neural oscillations i...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1323520/full |
| _version_ | 1797384908740493312 |
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| author | Min Cheol Chang Marie-Michèle Briand Marie-Michèle Briand Marie-Michèle Briand Mathieu Boudier-Revéret Mathieu Boudier-Revéret Seoyon Yang |
| author_facet | Min Cheol Chang Marie-Michèle Briand Marie-Michèle Briand Marie-Michèle Briand Mathieu Boudier-Revéret Mathieu Boudier-Revéret Seoyon Yang |
| author_sort | Min Cheol Chang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundChronic pain is common, disruptive, and often treatment-resistant. Hence, researchers and clinicians seek alternative therapies for chronic pain. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is an emerging neuromodulation technique that non-invasively modulates neural oscillations in the human brain. tACS induces pain relief by allowing the neural network to restore adequate synchronization. We reviewed studies on the effectiveness of tACS in controlling chronic pain.MethodsThe PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for relevant studies published until December 6, 2023. The key search phrase for identifying potentially relevant articles was [(Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation OR tACS) AND pain]. The following inclusion criteria were applied for article selection: (1) studies involving patients with chronic pain; (2) tACS was applied for controlling pain; and (3) follow-up evaluations were performed to assess the degree of pain reduction after the application of tACS.ResultsWe identified 2,330 potentially relevant articles. After reading the titles and abstracts and assessing eligibility based on the full-text articles, we included four articles in our review. Among the included studies, tACS was used for fibromyalgia in one study, low back pain (LBP) in two studies, and migraine in one study. In the study on fibromyalgia, it did not show a better pain-reducing effect of tACS compared with sham stimulation. Two studies on LBP showed conflicting results. In migraine, tACS showed a positive pain-reducing effect 24–48 h after its application.ConclusionThere is insufficient research to draw a conclusive judgment on the effectiveness of tACS in controlling chronic pain. More studies across various chronic pain-related diseases are required for a definitive conclusion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:46:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cee1e08ce3be40bca328617feb4785ad |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:46:25Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj.art-cee1e08ce3be40bca328617feb4785ad2023-12-20T09:03:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952023-12-011410.3389/fneur.2023.13235201323520Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic reviewMin Cheol Chang0Marie-Michèle Briand1Marie-Michèle Briand2Marie-Michèle Briand3Mathieu Boudier-Revéret4Mathieu Boudier-Revéret5Seoyon Yang6Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Republic of KoreaDivision of Trauma, Research Center, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaFaculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaFaculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Montreal Health Center, Montréal, QC, CanadaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Woman's University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of KoreaBackgroundChronic pain is common, disruptive, and often treatment-resistant. Hence, researchers and clinicians seek alternative therapies for chronic pain. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is an emerging neuromodulation technique that non-invasively modulates neural oscillations in the human brain. tACS induces pain relief by allowing the neural network to restore adequate synchronization. We reviewed studies on the effectiveness of tACS in controlling chronic pain.MethodsThe PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for relevant studies published until December 6, 2023. The key search phrase for identifying potentially relevant articles was [(Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation OR tACS) AND pain]. The following inclusion criteria were applied for article selection: (1) studies involving patients with chronic pain; (2) tACS was applied for controlling pain; and (3) follow-up evaluations were performed to assess the degree of pain reduction after the application of tACS.ResultsWe identified 2,330 potentially relevant articles. After reading the titles and abstracts and assessing eligibility based on the full-text articles, we included four articles in our review. Among the included studies, tACS was used for fibromyalgia in one study, low back pain (LBP) in two studies, and migraine in one study. In the study on fibromyalgia, it did not show a better pain-reducing effect of tACS compared with sham stimulation. Two studies on LBP showed conflicting results. In migraine, tACS showed a positive pain-reducing effect 24–48 h after its application.ConclusionThere is insufficient research to draw a conclusive judgment on the effectiveness of tACS in controlling chronic pain. More studies across various chronic pain-related diseases are required for a definitive conclusion.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1323520/fulltranscranial alternating current stimulationchronic painfibromyalgialow back painmigrainetreatment |
| spellingShingle | Min Cheol Chang Marie-Michèle Briand Marie-Michèle Briand Marie-Michèle Briand Mathieu Boudier-Revéret Mathieu Boudier-Revéret Seoyon Yang Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic review Frontiers in Neurology transcranial alternating current stimulation chronic pain fibromyalgia low back pain migraine treatment |
| title | Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic review |
| title_full | Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic review |
| title_short | Effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain: a systematic review |
| title_sort | effectiveness of transcranial alternating current stimulation for controlling chronic pain a systematic review |
| topic | transcranial alternating current stimulation chronic pain fibromyalgia low back pain migraine treatment |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1323520/full |
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