title: Transcutaneous spinal DC stimulation reduces pain sensitivity in humans.
abstract: Non-invasive approaches to pain management are needed to manage patient pain escalation and to providing sufficient pain relief. Here, we evaluate the potential of transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) to modulate pain sensitivity to electrical stimuli and mechanical pinpricks in 24 healthy subjects in a sham-controlled, single-blind study. Pain ratings to mechanical pinpricks and electrical stimuli were recorded prior to and at three time points (0, 30, and 60min) following 15min of anodal tsDCS (2.5mA, "active" electrode centered over the T11 spinous process, return electrode on the left posterior shoulder). Pain ratings to the pinpricks of the highest forces tested (128, 256, 512mN) were reduced at 30min and 60min following anodal tsDCS. These findings demonstrate that pain sensitivity in healthy subjects can be suppressed by anodal tsDCS and suggest that tsDCS may provide a non-invasive tool to manage mechanically-induced pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, Palliative Care Medicine and Pain Management, Medical Faculty of Ruhr-University Bochum, Berufsgenossenschaftliches Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil GmbH Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Meyer-Frießem
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Berufsgenossenschaftliches Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil GmbH Bochum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Haag
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Berufsgenossenschaftliches Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil GmbH Bochum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Wilcke
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Center of Biomedicine and Medical Technology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Ludolf-Krehl-Str. 13, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Magerl
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1 (Building A1), 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Pogatzki-Zahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Berufsgenossenschaftliches Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil GmbH Bochum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tegenthoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, Palliative Care Medicine and Pain Management, Medical Faculty of Ruhr-University Bochum, Berufsgenossenschaftliches Universitätsklinikum Bergmannsheil GmbH Bochum, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789 Bochum, Germany. Electronic address: zahn@ains-bergmannsheil.de.
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Zahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management; D058748:Pain Perception; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D062187:Spinal Cord Stimulation
keywords: Direct current stimulation; Pain; Perception; Sensitivity; Transcutaneous stimulation; tsDCS