Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40289459›Full record

Trial reportNeuroRehabilitation2025

The Treatment of Cervicogenic Headache with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Exercise Therapy: A Randomized Control Trial Evaluating Functional Outcomes.

Kaiden Jobin, Ashley Smith, Christina Campbell, Siobhan Schabrun, Jean-Michel Galarneau, Kathryn J Schneider, Chantel T Debert

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in NeuroRehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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.

Kaiden JobinDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6147-9815
Ashley SmithDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6895-3893
Christina CampbellDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-4369-6573
Siobhan SchabrunSchool of Physiotherapy, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
Jean-Michel GalarneauSport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-3784-8753
Kathryn J SchneiderSport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-5951-5899
Chantel T DebertDepartment of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2704-0438

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to evaluate functional outcomes of cervical motor control, strength and endurance following active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with exercise therapy (ET) compared to sham tDCS/+ET in patient with cervicogenic headache (CGH),DesignThis was a pilot sham-controlled, participant and assessor blinded, randomized controlled trial.MethodsThirty-two participants with CGH were randomized to active tDCS/+ET or sham tDCS/+ET. Participants completed 6-weeks of daily ET concurrently combined with 3 sessions per week of tDCS. Assessments included: craniocervical flexion test (mmHg), cervical isometric strength (N), cervical flexor and extensor endurance (seconds), and range of motion (degrees) pre-treatment, post-treatment, 6-weeks and 12-weeks post treatment. Linear mixed effect models evaluated group-time interactions at each follow-up while accounting for exercise program adherence and sex.ResultsThere were significant group-time interactions for activation scores on the craniocervical flexion test from pre-treatment to post-treatment (β = 1.571; 95%CI[0.155, 2.988]; p = 0.030), 6-weeks (β = 1.571; 95%CI[0.155, 2.988]; p = 0.030), and 12-weeks (β = 1.954; 95%CI[0.465, 3.443]; p = 0.011) favoring the active tDCS/+ET group.ConclusionsActive tDCS/+ET demonstrated significant benefits in deep cervical flexor motor control compared to sham tDCS/+ET that remained improved up to 12 weeks post-treatment. This suggests tDCS/+ET may improve of functional outcomes for patients with CGH.

Indexed as

Exercise TherapyPost-Traumatic HeadacheTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultCombined Modality TherapyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMuscle StrengthPilot ProjectsRange of Motion, ArticularTreatment Outcomecervicogenic headachechronic painexerciseneuromodulationpilot studytDCS

Identifiers

PMID40289459
PMCPMC12231782

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.