November 15, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Noninvasive brain stimulation may help with walking ability: Analysis A noninvasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can significantly improve walking abilities in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a pooled analysis of published studies. The technique was effective when applied to the main brain region called the primary motor cortex, which is involved…
March 3, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2022 ā Cognitive Training Paired With tDCS Aids Patients Electrically stimulating the brain while doing at-home cognitive training games can help to prevent a decline in cognition for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly those with more advanced disability, a study indicates. “This could lead to a therapy that can remediate cognitive impairment, we just need to optimize”…
May 28, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD At-home Brain Stimulation Program Now Available New York University (NYU) Langone Health has launched an at-home, therapeutic program of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) ā a type of non-invasive brain stimulation ā to reduce cognitive, motor, speech, or mood symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other brain disorders. A first of its kind, the…
January 25, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Reduces MS-associated Cognitive Fatigue One single session of non-invasive brain stimulation can reduce cognitive fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), say researchers at Germany’s Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg. Their study, āElectrophysiological and behavioral effects of frontal transcranial direct current stimulation on cognitive fatigue in multiple sclerosis,ā appeared in the…
October 3, 2017 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Reduces MS Fatigue, NYU Study Shows Non-invasive brain stimulation reduces fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients, concludes a study by researchers atĀ New York University. Fatigue is one the most disabling symptoms of MS, affecting roughly 75 percent of people with the disease. Doctors often prescribe drugs to treat narcolepsy, as well as behavior-based treatments and exercise programs, but their benefits have not been consistent. This led scientists to study a technique of brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which had shown positive results in earlier neurology studies, including improvements of cognitive symptoms in MS. In tDCS, doctors place electrodes on the scalp via a headset to apply a low-amplitude electrical current at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex ā a brain region believed to play a role in fatigue and cognitive symptoms. The technique has been proven safe and tolerable. The NYU study randomly assigned 27 MS patients to receive either tDCS or placebo. Patients got treatment while playing a cognitive game directed at the brainās processing speed and working memory. Sessions lasted 20 minutes each and took place five days a week, at patientsā homes. Participants reported their level of fatigue after 20 sessions, using a scale known as the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) that grades fatigue on a score of up to 32. A higher score correlates with more fatigue. The results showed a significant 5.6-point drop with tDCS, compared to a 0.9 point increase in the placebo group. Furthermore, patients may benefit from more sessions, since those who underwent 20 sessions reduced fatigue more than those who did only 10. The study also showed that patients with the most fatigue at baseline saw the biggest improvements. Remarkably, many participants reduced their fatigue to near-normal levels, researchers observed. Further studies are needed to ascertain the precise mechanism behind tDCS. Scientists believe it changes the brainās excitability, which improves connections and facilitates learning. Meanwhile, the study's authors strongly advise MS patients not to try over-the-counter stimulation technologies outside of a reliable research setting. The research team plans to test tDCS in larger clinical trials for MS-related fatigue, motor and cognitive symptoms. Currently, the Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center at NYU Langone Health is the only one in the United States to offer tDCS to MS patients.
February 3, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New tDCS Devices May Boost Cognition in MS ā But Don’t Use One at Home Without Guidance Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who received transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while playing brain-training video games improved their learning and understanding skillsĀ to a greater extent than those who only brain-trained. Researchers atĀ NYU Langone’s Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center underscored that while more research is needed to explore the procedure’s…