Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37919664›Full record

SynthesisBMC neurology2023

The effects of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) on pain intensity of patients with fibromyalgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Reza Moshfeghinia, Dorsa Shekouh, Sara Mostafavi, Mehrnaz Hosseinzadeh, Amir Reza Bahadori, Saeed Abdollahifard, Ali Razmkon

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC neurology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.9field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
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  5. High-definition tDCS over primary motor cortex modulates brain signal variability and functional connectivity in episodic migraine.Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2024
    Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Progress in mechanisms and therapy for fibromyalgia.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2026
    Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Reza MoshfeghiniaStudent Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Dorsa ShekouhStudent Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Sara MostafaviStudent Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Mehrnaz HosseinzadehFasa Neuroscience Circle (FNC), Student Research Committee, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
Amir Reza BahadoriStudent Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Saeed AbdollahifardResearch Center for Neuromodulation and Pain, 4th floor, Boghrat building, Zand Street, Shiraz, Iran.
Ali RazmkonResearch Center for Neuromodulation and Pain, 4th floor, Boghrat building, Zand Street, Shiraz, Iran. Ali.razmkon@gmail.com.
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences · IRFasa University of Medical Sciences · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionFibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has shown promise as a potential treatment for FM by modulating pain perception and reducing symptoms, such as fatigue and depression. We aimed to systematically review studies that assess the effect of tDCS on pain reduction in FM patients.

methodsSeven electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane, and CINAHL Complete) were searched for records in English. Studies that measured the effect of tDCS on pain intensity in FM patients were included. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. A random-effect model was preferred, and statistical analysis was performed by Stata software version 17.

resultsTwenty studies were included for qualitative, and eleven for quantitative analysis. Out of 664 patients included in the study, 443 were in the stimulation group. The left M1 area was the most common stimulation target (n = 12), and 2 mA was the most common stimulation amplitude (n = 19). The analysis showed that active tDCS significantly reduced pain intensity in FM patients in comparison to the sham group (SMD= -1.55; 95% CI -2.10, -0.99); also, no publication bias was noted.

conclusionOur systematic review highlights the potential effect of tDCS on the reduction of pain intensity in FM patients. Additionally, this current evidence could suggest that tDCS applied at an intensity of 2mA to the left M1 is the most effective strategy.

Indexed as

Chronic PainFibromyalgiaTranscranial Direct Current StimulationHumansPain MeasurementTranscranial Magnetic StimulationFibromyalgiaNoninvasive brain stimulationPaintDCSTranscranial Direct Current Stimulation

Identifiers

PMID37919664
PMCPMC10621179
OpenAlexW4388230941

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.