Table 1.
The characteristics and demographics of the included studies.
| Reference | Country | Population | Study design | Settings | Patient, n | Total sessions | Session duration | Age (intervention, control) | Female % (intervention, control) | Outcome scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Do (21) | Korea | Patients with tension-type headaches, outpatient | Double blinded sham controlled, RCT | Intervention group: CMS generator, 25 mA, 8 Hz | Intervention group: 12 Control group (sham): 12 | 14 sessions | 20 min | 62.9 (all) | 90.90 (all) | HADS |
| Wu (24) | China | Tic disorders in children and adolescents, inpatient | Double-blind, sham-controlled, RCT | Intervention group: CES ultra-stimulator, 500 μA−2 mA, 0.5 Hz | Intervention group: 29 Control group (sham): 24 | 40 sessions | 30 min | 11.31, 10.28 | 20.8, 15.1 | HAM-A |
| Cho (50) | Korea | Obese middle-aged women, outpatient | RCT | Intervention group: Alpha-Stim 100, 100 mA, 0.5 Hz and aerobic exercise (CES+EX) | Intervention group: 12 Control group (aerobic exercise): 12 | 24 sessions | 20 min | 54.75, 54.83 | 100, 100 | K-POMS |
| Gong (22) | China | Patient with functional constipation, outpatient | RCT | Intervention group: Alpha-Stim SCS, 10~500 mA, 0.5 Hz and Biofeedback therapy | Intervention group: 38 Control group (biofeedback therapy): 36 | 30 sessions | 30 min | 53.5, 53.2 | 65.8, 85.6 | SAS SDS |
| Lyon (26) | United States | women receiving chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer, inpatient | Sham controlled, RCT | Intervention group: Alpha-Stim 100, 100 mA, 0.5 Hz | Intervention group: 70 Control group (sham): 67 | 126 sessions | 60 min | 51.5 (all) | 100 (all) | HADS |
| Barclay (11) | United States | Anxiety disorder, outpatient | Double-blind, sham controlled, RCT | Intervention group: Alpha-Stim 100, 100 mA, 0.5 Hz | Intervention group: 57 Control group (sham): 51 | 35 sessions | 60 min | 42.3 (all) | 47.4, 52.6 | HAM-A HAM-D |
| Lu (12) | China | Anxiety disorder, outpatient | RCT | Intervention group: Alpha-Stim SCS, 10~500 mA, 0.5 Hz and 10–20 mg/day of paroxetine | Intervention group: 60 Control group (paroxetine 10–20 mg/day): 60 | 42 sessions | 60 min | 32.6, 31.1 | 60, 66.7 | HAM-A |
| NCT00723008 | United States | Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the burn patient, outpatient | Sham controlled, RCT | Intervention group: Alpha Stim 100, 100 mA, 0.5 Hz | Intervention group: 11 Control group (sham): 9 | 20 sessions | 60 min | 26.8 (all) | 45 (all) | VAS CES-D |
| Tan (52) | United States | Spinal cord injury, inpatient | Double-blind, sham-controlled, RCT | Intervention group: Alpha-Stim SCS, 100 mA, 0.5 Hz | Intervention group: 45 Control group (sham): 55 | 21 sessions | 60 min | 53.1, 52.5 | 14.20 (all) | STAI CES-D |
| Chen (13) | China | mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, outpatient | sham controlled, RCT | Intervention group: Alpha Stim 100, 100~500 muA, 0.5 Hz | Intervention group: 30 Control group (sham): 30 | 15 sessions | 10~15 min | 12, 11 | ‘16.7, 36.7 | SAS SDS |
| Cork (51) | United States | Patient with fibromyalgia | Double blinded sham controlled, RCT | Intervention group: Alpha-Stim CES, 100 mA, 0.5 Hz | Intervention group: 39 Control group (sham): 35 | 21 sessions | 60 min | 53 (all) | 94.6 (all) | POMS |
The characteristics and demographics of the included studies.
RCT, randomized-controlled trial; HAM-A, Hamilton anxiety depression rating score; HAM-D, Hamilton depression rating score; K-POMS, Korean edition of profile of mood states; POMS, the profile of mood states; HADS, Hospital anxiety and depression scale; SAS, self-rating anxiety scale; SDS, self-rating depression scale; VAS, visual analog scale; CES-D, the center for epidemiologic studies depression scale; STAI, the state-trait anxiety inventory.