Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Neuropathic Pain in Patients with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Review

Abstract

Introduction: Neuropathic pain as defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as “pain caused
by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system,” and which can be further categorized into central
or peripheral neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain usually starts shortly after the injury and can persist for the
rest of the life. It can occur below, at, or above the level of injury. There are mainly two type of neuropathic
pain, one occurs in a segmental distribution and other in diffuse distribution. It is a common complication
after Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is being explored as a potential
therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury. It involves applying a low electrical current to the scalp, modulating
neural activity and promote neuroplasticity with modification of the cortical activity in individual in SCI patients
which lead to decrease in neuropathic pain.
Methodology: To construct a review on this topic, an extensive search on various databases was carried out
including Ovid, Google Scholar, Medline, PubMed, Researchgate and available textbooks. Studies done in the
last 15 years were included in the review.
Conclusion: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to have positive effects in decreasing
Neuropathic Pain in patients suffering from incomplete spinal cord injury.