Table 3.
tDCS methodology and main results
| Study | Sample size | Age, years (mean ± SD) | Female | Pain intensity (mean ± SD) (0–10) | Type | Target area | Intensity, no. sessions | Duration | Adverse effects | Main results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donnell et al, 201539 | 12 active 12 sham |
34.8±13.7 35.6±15.7 |
12 (100%) 12 (100%) |
3.4±1.5 3.7±1.4 |
HD 2 × 2 anodal | 2 anodes over M1 (face) 2 cathodes ant. (FC3 + FC5) | 2 mA, 5 sessions | 20 min | Mild HA, tingling, sleepiness (both) | Significant improvement in pain and mouth opening, maintained 4 weeks after |
| Hagenacker et al, 201440 | 10 | 58.7 ±6.0 | 5 (50%) | 6.7±1.3 7.2±1.2 |
4 × 4 anodal | Anode over M1, cathode: suborbital | 1 mA, 14 sessions | 20 min | Slight itching and tingling | Significant improvement in pain, not attack frequency. It worked in purely paroxysmal cases, but not in the ones having persistent pain |
| Oliveira et al, 201541 | 16 active+PT 16 sham+PT |
23.8±7.3 25.5±6.3 |
15 (94%) 14 (88%) |
5.5±1.4 6.3±1.2 |
Anodal + PT | Anode over M1, cathode: suborbital | 2 mA, 5 sessions | 20 min | None | Both groups significantly improved, although no difference was observed between groups |
Abbreviations: HA, headache; HD, high definition; M1, primary motor cortex; PT, physical therapy; tDCS, transcranial direct current stimulation.