Table 3.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) studies ‐ characteristics of stimulation
| Study | Location of stimulation (Anode) | Electrode pad size | Intensity (mA) | Anodal or cathodal? | Stimulus duration (min) | Treatment sessions per group |
| Ahn 2017 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Antal 2010 | M1 left hand area | 35 cm2 | 1 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Ayache 2016 | Left DLPFC | 25 cm2 | 2mA | Anodal | 20 | 3, x 1 daily |
| Bae 2014 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | x 3 per week for 3 weeks |
| Boggio 2009 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 30 | 1 |
| Brietzke 2016 | Left M1 | 25‐35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Chang 2017 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 1 mA | Anodal | 20 | 16, x 2 weekly for 8 weeks |
| Donnell 2015 | M1 contralateral to painful side | HD‐tDCS | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Fagerlund 2015 | M1, side not specified | 35 cm2 | 2mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Fenton 2009 | M1 dominant hemisphere | 35 cm2 | 1 mA | Anodal | 20 | 2 |
| Fregni 2006a | M1 contralateral to painful side or dominant hand | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Fregni 2006b | M1 and DLPFC contralateral to painful side or dominant hand | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Hagenacker 2014 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 40 cm2 | 1mA | Anodal | 20 | Daily, self‐administered for 14 days |
| Harvey 2017 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Hazime 2017 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 12, x 3 per week for 4 weeks |
| Jales Junior 2015 | Left M1 | 15 cm2 | 1mA | Anodal | 20 | x 1 weekly for 10 weeks |
| Jensen 2013 | M1 left | 35cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 1 |
| Khedr 2017 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 24 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 10, x 1 daily, 5 days per week for 2 weeks |
| Kim 2013 | M1, side not specified DLPFC |
25 cm2 | 2mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Lagueux 2017 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 14, x 5 weekly for 2 weeks, x 1 weekly for 4 weeks |
| Luedtke 2015 | M1 left side not specified | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Mendonca 2011 | Group 1: anodal left M1 Group 2: cathodal left M1 Group 3: anodal supraorbital Group 4: cathodal supraorbital Group 5: sham |
35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal or cathodal | 20 | 1 |
| Mendonca 2016 | Left M1 | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Mori 2010 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Ngernyam 2015 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 1 |
| Oliveira 2015 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily, then x 2 weekly for 3 weeks, up to 10 sessions |
| Portilla 2013 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | x 1 per condition |
| Riberto 2011 | M1 contralateral to painful side or dominant hand | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 10, x 1 weekly |
| Sakrajai 2014 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 1 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Soler 2010 | M1 contralateral to painful side or dominant hand | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 10, x 1 daily (weekdays only) |
| Souto 2014 | Left M1 | 25 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Thibaut 2017 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Valle 2009 | M1 and DLPFC contralateral to painful side or dominant hand | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Villamar 2013 | M1 left | HD‐tDCS 4 x 1‐ring montage | 2 mA | Anodal or cathodal | 20 | x 1 per condition |
| Wrigley 2014 | M1 contralateral to painful side or dominant hand | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
| Volz 2016 | M1 contralateral to painful side | 35 cm2 | 2 mA | Anodal | 20 | 5, x 1 daily |
DLPFC: dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; HD‐tDCS: high definition tDCS; M1: primary motor cortex