Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
Updated Technique for Reliable, Easy, and Tolerated Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Including Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Published on: January 3, 2020
Transcranial alternating current stimulation reduces symptoms in intractable idiopathic cervical dystonia: a case
E Angelakis1, E Liouta, N Andreadis
1Hellenic Center for Neurosurgical Research Prof. Petros Kokkalis, Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. angelakis@neurosurgery.org.gr
Abstract:
Idiopathic cervical dystonia (ICD) is a movement disorder often resulting in profound disability and pain. Treatment options include oral medications or other invasive procedures, whereas intractable ICD has been shown to respond to invasive (deep) brain stimulation. In the present blinded, placebo-controlled case study, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been applied to a 54-year old patient with intractable ICD. Results showed that 15 Hz tACS had both immediate and cumulative effects in dystonic symptom reduction, with a 54% reduction in the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) total score, and a 75% in the TWSTRS Pain Scale. These effects were persistent at 30-days follow-up. This is the first report to demonstrate a significant and lasting therapeutic effect of non-invasive electrical brain stimulation in dystonia.
