Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41251995›Full record

ReviewAdvances in experimental medicine and biology2026

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Cognition in Patients with Drug-Resistant Focal Epilepsy: A Critical Review.

Theodoros Fasilis, Katerina Poprelka, Panayiotis Patrikelis, Lambros Messinis, Evniki Ntinopoulou, Sofia Margariti, Maria Stefanatou, Anastasia Verentzioti, Athanasia Alexoudi, Anastasia Nousia and 5 more

Abstract readReview
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In one paragraph

Review in Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

15 authors.

Theodoros FasilisFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece. fasilistheo@med.uoa.gr.
Katerina PoprelkaFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Panayiotis PatrikelisFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Lambros MessinisLaboratory of Neuropsychology and Behavioural Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Evniki NtinopoulouFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Sofia MargaritiFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Maria StefanatouFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Anastasia VerentziotiFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Athanasia AlexoudiFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Anastasia NousiaDepartment of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Peloponnese Greece, Tripoli, Greece.
Konstantinos KonstantopoulosDepartment of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Peloponnese Greece, Tripoli, Greece.
Grigorios NasiosDepartment of Speech and Language Therapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina Greece, Ioannina, Greece.
Vasilios KismikidisLaboratory of Neuropsychology and Behavioural Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Stefanos KorfiasFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Stylianos GatzonisFirst Department of Neurosurgery, Epilepsy Surgery Unit, Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evaggelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The relentless pace of scientific and technological advancement has heralded substantial innovations within the field of medicine. Among these advancements, Transcranial Electrical Stimulation emerges as a notable technology, and its potential application in the context of refractory epilepsy holds promise. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive deficits in patients with focal refractory epilepsy. In the present article, we provide a critical review. PICOS framework was applied, while PRISMA and ROBINS-I guidelines were implicated in order to establish methodological rigor and validity. Results showed that cathodal (-) tDCS in patients with focal refractory epilepsy, in the epileptogenic area, with a current intensity of 1-2 mA, lasting 20-40 min once a day, for a total period of 5-14 days, may result in a reduction in the frequency of seizures and the epileptiform discharge rate. In addition, patients show cognitive improvement in the areas of working memory and attention. In conclusion, while there are available data on tDCS for a range of diseases, data in patients with focal refractory epilepsy are relatively limited and methodologically heterogeneous, despite positive evidence for its functional value. Further study is needed to fully elucidate the mechanisms of action and potential benefits.

Indexed as

CognitionDrug Resistant EpilepsyEpilepsies, PartialTranscranial Direct Current StimulationHumansTreatment OutcomeCathodal stimulationDrug-resistant focal epilepsyTranscranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID41251995

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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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.