title: A pilot study of the tolerability and effects of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) on pain perception.
abstract: Several brain stimulation technologies are beginning to evidence promise as pain treatments. However, traditional versions of 1 specific technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), stimulate broad regions of cortex with poor spatial precision. A new tDCS design, called high definition tDCS (HD-tDCS), allows for focal delivery of the charge to discrete regions of the cortex. We sought to preliminarily test the safety and tolerability of the HD-tDCS technique as well as to evaluate whether HD-tDCS over the motor cortex would decrease pain and sensory experience. Twenty-four healthy adult volunteers underwent quantitative sensory testing before and after 20 minutes of real (n = 13) or sham (n = 11) 2 mA HD-tDCS over the motor cortex. No adverse events occurred and no side effects were reported. Real HD-tDCS was associated with significantly decreased heat and cold sensory thresholds, decreased thermal wind-up pain, and a marginal analgesic effect for cold pain thresholds. No significant effects were observed for mechanical pain thresholds or heat pain thresholds. HD-tDCS appears well tolerated, and produced changes in underlying cortex that are associated with changes in pain perception. Future studies are warranted to investigate HD-tDCS in other applications, and to examine further its potential to affect pain perception.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article presents preliminary tolerability and efficacy data for a new focal brain stimulation technique called high definition transcranial direct current stimulation. This technique may have applications in the management of pain.
authors: Brain Stimulation Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. borckard@musc.edu
authors: Jeffrey J
authors: JJ
authors: Borckardt
authors: Marom
authors: M
authors: Bikson
authors: Heather
authors: H
authors: Frohman
authors: Scott T
authors: ST
authors: Reeves
authors: Abhishek
authors: A
authors: Datta
authors: Varun
authors: V
authors: Bansal
authors: Alok
authors: A
authors: Madan
authors: Kelly
authors: K
authors: Barth
authors: Mark S
authors: MS
authors: George
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D058748:Pain Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult