Effects of High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Targeting the Anterior Cingulate Cortex on the Pain Thresholds: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Background The majority of existing clinical studies used active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over superficial areas of the pain neuromatrix to regulate pain, with conflicting results. Few studies have investigated the effect of tDCS on pain thresholds by focusing on targe...

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Published in:Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) Mass.), 2023-01, Vol.24 (1), p.89-98
Main Authors: Xiong, Huan-Yu, Cao, Yin-Quan, Du, Shu-Hao, Yang, Qi-Hao, He, Si-Yi, Wang, Xue-Qiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Analgesics
Anterior cingulate cortex
Brain stimulation
Care and treatment
Cortex (cingulate)
Cortex (somatosensory)
Development and progression
Electrical stimulation of the brain
ESB
Female
Gyrus Cinguli
Health aspects
Humans
Methods
Pain
Pain perception
Pain Threshold - physiology
Physiological aspects
Statistical analysis
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation - methods
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Background The majority of existing clinical studies used active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over superficial areas of the pain neuromatrix to regulate pain, with conflicting results. Few studies have investigated the effect of tDCS on pain thresholds by focusing on targets in deep parts of the pain neuromatrix. Methods This study applied a single session of high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) targeting the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and used a parallel and sham-controlled design to compare the antinociceptive effects in healthy individuals by assessing changes in pain thresholds. Sixty-six female individuals (mean age, 20.5 ± 2.4 years) were randomly allocated into the anodal, cathodal, or sham HD-tDCS groups. The primary outcome of the study was pain thresholds (pressure pain threshold, heat pain threshold, and cold pain threshold), which were evaluated before and after stimulation through the use of quantitative sensory tests. Results Only cathodal HD-tDCS targeting the ACC significantly increased heat pain threshold (P 
ISSN:1526-2375
1526-4637
DOI:10.1093/pm/pnac135