title: Transcranial alternating current stimulation reduces symptoms in intractable idiopathic cervical dystonia: a case study.
abstract: Idiopathic cervical dystonia (ICD) is a movement disorder often resulting in profound disability and pain. Treatment options include oral medications or other invasive procedures, whereas intractable ICD has been shown to respond to invasive (deep) brain stimulation. In the present blinded, placebo-controlled case study, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been applied to a 54-year old patient with intractable ICD. Results showed that 15 Hz tACS had both immediate and cumulative effects in dystonic symptom reduction, with a 54% reduction in the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) total score, and a 75% in the TWSTRS Pain Scale. These effects were persistent at 30-days follow-up. This is the first report to demonstrate a significant and lasting therapeutic effect of non-invasive electrical brain stimulation in dystonia.
authors.affiliation: Hellenic Center for Neurosurgical Research Prof. Petros Kokkalis, Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. angelakis@neurosurgery.org.gr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angelakis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Liouta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andreadis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leonardos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ktonas
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Stavrinou
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mekonnen
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sakas
mesh_terms: D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D014103:Torticollis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*