title: A randomized, controlled, double-blind pilot study of the effects of cranial electrical stimulation on activity in brain pain processing regions in individuals with fibromyalgia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of microcurrent cranial electrical stimulation (CES) therapy on activity in pain processing brain regions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, controlled, three-group, double-blind pilot study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Persons with physician-diagnosed fibromyalgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Active CES device, sham device, and usual care alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Those individuals using the active device had a greater decrease in average pain (P = .023) than individuals using the sham device or receiving usual care alone over time. Preliminary analyses of the functional magnetic resonance imaging data on a subset of six participants from each of the two device groups show that individuals using an active CES device had a decrease in activation in the pain processing regions of the brain compared to those using a sham device.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observed decrease in activation in the pain processing regions may indicate a decrease in neural activity in these regions that may be related to decreased pain. This is the first randomized, controlled trial of CES in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia to report functional magnetic resonance imaging data.
authors.affiliation: Center for Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. agt@virginia.edu
authors.forename: Ann Gill
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Joel G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Shannon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Riedel
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bourguignon
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*