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. 2022 Oct 20;20(1):207–219. doi: 10.1007/s13311-022-01303-x

Table 1.

Baseline characteristics of patients according to the allocated group

Total (n = 56) rTMS then tDCS (n = 26) tDCS then rTMS (n = 30) P-value
Age (year), mean (SD) 58.6 (13.2) 60.2 (13.7) 57.3 (12.9) 0.407
Female, n (%) 27 (48%) 12 (46%) 15 (50%) 0.774
Washout period (week), median (IQR) 10.0 (9.0, 12.1) 10.0 (9.0, 12.0) 10.7 (9.0, 12.1) 0.904
Disease history
  Pain syndrome duration (year), median (IQR) 5 (3, 8) 5 (3, 8) 5 (3, 7) 0.391
  Pain origin, n (%): 0.569
    Brachial plexus injury 4 (7%) 2 (8%) 2 (7%)
    Spinal cord injury 6 (11%) 4 (15%) 2 (7%)
    Central post-stroke pain 21 (37.5%) 7 (27%) 14 (46%)
    Brain tumor, vascular and other pain 4 (7%) 2 (8%) 2 (7%)
    Orofacial pain 21 (37.5%) 11 (42%) 10 (33%)
Summary of pharmacological treatment
  Number of drugs/patient, median (IQR) 2 (2, 3) 2 (2, 3) 2 (2, 2) 0.340
  Drug class, n (%):
    Antiepileptics 39 (70%) 18 (69%) 21 (70%) 0.950
    Antidepressants 36 (64%) 17 (65%) 19 (63%) 0.873
    Strong opioids 6 (11%) 2 (8%) 4 (13%) 0.496
    Weak opioids 22 (39%) 11 (42%) 11 (37%) 0.666
    Non-opioid analgesics 15 (27%) 9 (35%) 6 (20%) 0.218
Clinical scorea during the week pre-stimulation
  Pain score, mean (SD) 6.4 (2.0) 6.0 (2.1) 6.7 (2.0) 0.180
  Sleep score, mean (SD) 4.7 (2.5) 4.8 (2.6) 4.7 (2.6) 0.876
  Fatigue score, mean (SD) 5.5 (2.3) 5.0 (2.4) 5.9 (2.2) 0.170

SD standard deviation, IQR interquartile range

aNumerical rating scale (NRS). The NRS score ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no pain/sleep disorder/fatigue and 10 the worst imaginable pain/sleep disorder/fatigue