Abstract Details

Title Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Efficacy in Treating Information Processing Impairment of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Topic Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) IN11 - (-)

Poster/Presentation
Number 004

Objective

Background Evidences indicate the significant effect of intensive specific training of attention and information processing deficits in MS patients, whose neural correlate is reported to be an increased prefrontal cortical activation in rehabilitated patients. tDCS has not been used in MS cognitive deficits till now and may be useful in reinforcing behavioural interventions.

Design/Methods A randomized placebo controlled trial was designed and approved by the ethical committee in Brescia (Italy). Patients were included if affected by relapsing remitting MS with low disability and poor attention/information processing, defined by score < -2SD in either PASAT 2"/3" or SDMT. Exclusion criteria were psychiatric illness, seizures in the past, cranial mechanical devices and pregnancy. Patients were randomly assigned to have either specific PC assisted cognitive training and active tDCS or specific cognitive training and sham tDCS for two weeks five days per week. Specific cognitive training was performed according to Mattioli et al.(2010); tDCS was performed with Brainstim device (active electrode was placed on the left prefrontal region). Extensive neuropsychological evaluation was conducted at baseline, after treatment and 6 months later.

Results Preliminary results on 13 patients (3 males, 10 females) belonging to active (6) and sham (7) stimulation groups, which were comparable for clinical variables (mean age 38 and 49; mean EDSS 2.2 and 2.6 respectively, t test p=ns), show a significant improvement after treatment in PASAT 3", PASAT2" and WCST (Wilcoxon test p<.05) in active stimulation group only. No side effects were reported.

Conclusions Results point to the efficacy of prefrontal active tDCS in treating information processing deficits in MS.

Authors/Disclosures
Flavia Mattioli, MD (University of Brescia) PRESENTER	Dr. Mattioli has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
	No disclosure on file
Ruggero Capra, MD	Dr. Capra has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
Andrew Cole, MD, FAAN (Massachusetts General Hospital)	Dr. Cole has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Medtronic. Dr. Cole has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for ANA. Dr. Cole has received publishing royalties from a publication relating to health care.

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