ID 207 – The effects of tDCS on pain and attention in multiple sclerosis

Objective Pain and attentional deficit are frequent symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet little is known about their interaction in this context. Here, we studied the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which plays a key role in pain and attentional circuits. Methods Twenty painful MS patients were included in a randomized, sham-controlled, cross-over study. Participants randomly received two tDCS blocks, each consisting of three consecutive daily sessions of either active anodal or sham tDCS, separated by three weeks of washout interval. Cognitive, neuropsychological and electrophysiologic evaluations were performed. Results Compared to sham, active tDCS significantly improved pain, and had a trend in ameliorating the alerting network of attention. No correlations were found between both improvements. The stimulation neither improved the remaining attentional networks, nor significantly affected the other variables. Conclusions tDCS over the DLPFC improves pain and attention in MS patients. Such an effect seems to occur by two independent mechanisms of action. Key Message tDCS over the DLPFC can improve pain and attention in MS patients.