No add-on therapeutic benefit of at-home anodal tDCS of the primary motor cortex to mindfulness meditation in patients with fibromyalgia.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether combining anodal tDCS of the left M1 with mindfulness meditation (MM) provided additional benefits over MM alone in fibromyalgia patients.
Results Summary
The study found post-treatment improvements in clinical outcomes, including mindfulness levels, but no significant difference between active tDCS and sham conditions, suggesting no additive effect of tDCS.
Population
Fibromyalgia patients trained in mindfulness.
Effective Dosage
Ten daily sessions of mindfulness meditation paired with tDCS (active or sham).
Duration
Ten days, with a one-month follow-up.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left primary motor cortex (M1) with mindfulness meditation (MM) | increase | all clinical outcomes, including mindfulness level | fibromyalgia patients trained in mindfulness | - | improvement | #1 |
anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left primary motor cortex (M1) with mindfulness meditation (MM) | no change | positive affect | fibromyalgia patients trained in mindfulness | - | no significant difference | #2 |
anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left primary motor cortex (M1) with mindfulness meditation (MM) | no change | stress | fibromyalgia patients trained in mindfulness | - | no significant difference | #3 |
anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left primary motor cortex (M1) with mindfulness meditation (MM) | no change | all clinical outcomes | fibromyalgia patients trained in mindfulness | - | no significant group*time interaction | #4 |
anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left primary motor cortex (M1) with mindfulness meditation (MM) | no change | transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measures of cortical excitability | fibromyalgia patients trained in mindfulness | - | no significant group*time interaction | #5 |
anodal tDCS of the left M1 | no change | - | patients with fibromyalgia | - | no synergistic or add-on effect | #6 |
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the efficacy of combining at-home anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left primary motor cortex (M1) with mindfulness meditation (MM) in fibromyalgia patients trained in mindfulness. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients were allocated to receive ten daily sessions of MM paired with either anodal or sham tDCS over the primary motor cortex. Primary outcomes were pain intensity and quality of life. Secondary outcomes were psychological impairment, sleep quality, mood, affective pain, mindfulness level, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) measures of cortical excitability. Outcomes were analyzed pre- and post-treatment, with a one-month follow-up. RESULTS: We found post-tDCS improvement in all clinical outcomes, including mindfulness level, except for positive affect and stress, in both groups without significant difference between active and sham conditions. No significant group*time interaction was found for all clinical and TMS outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate no synergistic or add-on efffect of anodal tDCS of the left M1 compared to the proper effect of MM in patients with fibromyalgia. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings challenge the potential of combining anodal tDCS of the left M1 and MM in fibromyalgia.