Transcranial direct current stimulation efficacy in trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a severe,disabling pain and its deafferentation remains a challenge for health providers.Transcranial direct current stimulation is a non-invasive stimulation technique which finds new utility in managing pain.There-fore,the introduction of alternative,non-invasive,safe,and effective methods should be considered in treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia unresponsive to conventional treatment.

Effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on supernumerary phantom limb pain in spinal cord injured patient:A case report

BACKGROUND Supernumerary phantom limb(SPL)sensation is the experience of additional limbs,either single or a pair of limbs.Unique to traumatic spinal cord injuries,we report effect of transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)on SPL pain in a patient with cervical cord injury.CASE SUMMARY The subject was a 57-year-old man who was diagnosed with complete spinal cord injury(C6/C5,motor level;C5/C5,sensory level;AIS-A)approximately three months ago.After a period of 2 wk,we administered anodal tDCS over the motor cortex for 15 minutes at an intensity of 1.5 mA.Following that treatment,the patient experienced a decrease of SPL pain intensity and frequency,which lasted for 1 week after the end of treatment.CONCLUSION Targeting the motor cortex through neuromodulation appears to be a promising option for the management of SPL pain.

Research and exploration of direct current power supply and distribution systems for Antarctic research stations

The power supply and distribution systems for Antarctic research stations have special characteristics.In light of a worldwide trend toward a gradual increase in the application of renewable energy,an analysis was performed to assess the feasibility of achieving a direct current power supply and distribution at Antarctic research stations by comparing the characteristics of direct current and alternating current electricity.Research was also performed on the status quo and future trends in direct current power supply and distribution systems in Antarctica research stations in combination with case studies.

Transcranial direct current stimulation as early augmentation in adolescent obsessive compulsive disorder:A pilot proof-of-concept randomized control trial

BACKGROUND Transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)is proven to be safe in treating various neurological conditions in children and adolescents.It is also an effective method in the treatment of OCD in adults.AIM To assess the safety and efficacy of tDCS as an add-on therapy in drug-naive adolescents with OCD.METHODS We studied drug-naïve adolescents with OCD,using a Children’s Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale(CY-BOCS)scale to assess their condition.Both active and sham groups were given fluoxetine,and we applied cathode and anode over the supplementary motor area and deltoid for 20 min in 10 sessions.Reassessment occurred at 2,6,and 12 wk using CY-BOCS.RESULTS Eighteen adolescents completed the study(10-active,8-sham group).CY-BOCS scores from baseline to 12 wk reduced significantly in both groups but change at baseline to 2 wk was significant in the active group only.The mean change at 2 wk was more in the active group(11.8±7.77 vs 5.25±2.22,P=0.056).Adverse effects between the groups were comparable.CONCLUSION tDCS is safe and well tolerated for the treatment of OCD in adolescents.However,there is a need for further studies with a larger sample population to confirm the effectiveness of tDCS as early augmentation in OCD in this population.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: Effects on Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Introduction: In the last thirty years, brain neuromodulation techniques have been used as an alternative to pharmacological treatment of neurological disorders. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to bradykinesia, rest tremor, postural changes, and non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, pain, and cognitive decline that compromises executive functions (EFs), responsible for the orderly execution of behaviors and tasks of daily life and intentional and directed actions. To this date, a few studies with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have shown beneficial effects in PD patients concerning specific motor and non-motor symptoms, targeting the motor cortex and/or prefrontal regions. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of left prefrontal tDCS across a broad spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms of PD using established validated scales. Method: Single-blind randomized clinical trial with 18 volunteers with PD, aged between 45 and 80 years (66.1 ± 9.65), who met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants were submitted to assessments of motor and non-motor functions employing psychometric scales and tests to evaluate EFs and were randomly divided into two groups: control (sham stimulation) and experimental (active stimulation). All participants were involved in three separate tDCS sessions. The anode was positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the cathode over the right supraorbital region, with a direct current intensity of 2 mA, lasting 20 minutes. At the end of the three sessions, all participants were reassessed. Results: Significant effects of tDCS on non-motor functions were observed for cognition (verbal fluency of actions, clock copy test, appointment by visual confrontation, and verbal memory with immediate free recall) and subjective assessment of sleep quality (overall restlessness and discomfort in the arms and legs at night, leg and arm cramps at night and distressing dreams). There was also an improvement in the rate of errors and successes for congruent and incongruent stimuli of the Stroop Test. The beneficial effects on motor function were decreased rigidity, improved gait, and greater agility in the finger-tapping test. Conclusion: Three tDCS sessions showed positive results for participants with PD, producing significant improvements in various motor and non-motor functions, including sleep quality, cognition, and EFs. Additionally, the present results indicate that tDCS neuromodulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex region is feasible, safe, and provides significant objective benefits for PD patients.

“Flow” Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Depression Treatment in a Primary Healthcare General Practice—An Open-Label Cohort Study Measuring Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-S) Outcomes

Background: Flow FL-100 is a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device self-administered by a patient at home in combination with a software application delivered wellbeing behaviour therapy training. tDCS has evidence of effectiveness in treating symptoms of depression. Purpose/Aim: This post marketing study evaluated the effect of Flow on depression for primary care general practice patients with depression symptoms. Methods: Open-label patient cohort design with no control group. Inclusion criteria were aged 18 years or over and reporting depression symptoms. Participants self-administered five 30 minute tDCS sessions per week for the first three weeks, and then 3 sessions per week following this. Three, six and ten week assessment with participant self-report measure: Montgomery- Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-S). Results: MADRS-S remission rates were between 29% - 30% at three weeks, 33% - 34% at six-weeks and 50% at 10-weeks treatment. There was a significant improvement in MADRS-S with large effect sizes at all time points. Conclusions: Flow tDCS can be delivered through a primary healthcare general practice service and patients will choose to use. Flow tDCS provides an effective depression treatment in addition and as an alternative to antidepressants and psychotherapy. tDCS has evidence as an effective depression treatment, and the widespread availability of tDCS in primary care general practice should be considered.

Positive Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Visual Verbal Working Memory in Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Background: Working memory is an executive function that plays an important role in many aspects of daily life, and its impairment in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects quality of life. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been a good target site for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) due to its intense involvement in working memory. In our 2018 study, tDCS improved visual-verbal working memory in healthy subjects. Objective: This study examines the effects of tDCS on ADHD patients, particularly on verbal working memory. Methods: We conducted an experiment involving verbal working memory of two modalities, visual and auditory, and a sustained attention task that could affect working memory in 9 ADHD patients. Active or sham tDCS was applied to the left DLPFC in a single-blind crossover design. Results: tDCS significantly improved the accuracy of visual-verbal working memory. In contrast, tDCS did not affect auditory-verbal working memory and sustained attention. Conclusion: tDCS to the left DLPFC improved visual-verbal working memory in ADHD patients, with important implications for potential ADHD treatments.

Harvesting Environment Mechanical Energy by Direct Current Triboelectric Nanogenerators

As hundreds of millions of distributed devices appear in every corner of our lives for information collection and transmission in big data era,the biggest challenge is the energy supply for these devices and the signal transmission of sensors.Triboelectric nanogenerator(TENG)as a new energy technology meets the increasing demand of today’s distributed energy supply due to its ability to convert the ambient mechanical energy into electric energy.Meanwhile,TENG can also be used as a sensing system.Direct current triboelectric nanogenerator(DC-TENG)can directly supply power to electronic devices without additional rectification.It has been one of the most important developments of TENG in recent years.Herein,we review recent progress in the novel structure designs,working mechanism and corresponding method to improve the output performance for DC-TENGs from the aspect of mechanical rectifier,tribovoltaic effect,phase control,mechanical delay switch and air-discharge.The basic theory of each mode,key merits and potential development are discussed in detail.At last,we provide a guideline for future challenges of DC-TENGs,and a strategy for improving the output performance for commercial applications.

Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of Motor Cortex versus Insula Cortex on Chronic Post-Mastectomy Pain: Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) across cortical brain areas appears to improve various forms of pain, yet evidence of tDCS efficiency and ideal stimulation target is lacking. This study aimed to compare the add-on analgesic efficacy of concentric electrode transcranial direct current stimulation (CE-tDCS) stimulation over the primary motor cortex versus the insular cortex on the management of chronic postmastectomy pain. Method: Prospective randomized double-blind sham-controlled study enrolled eighty patients with chronic postmastectomy pain that were randomly assigned to four groups: active motor (AM), sham motor (SM), active insula (AI) and sham insula (SI) group, each received 5 sessions for 20-minute duration with 2 mA tDCS over the targeted area of the contralateral side of pain. Our primary outcome was VAS score, the secondary outcomes were VDS score, LANSS score and depression symptoms by HAM-D scores, assessment was done at 4 time points (prestimulation, after 5th session, 15th day and one month after the last session). Results: Both active tDCS groups (motor and insula) showed reduction of VAS (P Conclusion: Active tDCS stimulation either targeting the primary motor cortex or the insula cortex has add-on analgesic effect for controlling neuropathic chronic post mastectomy pain and the maximum effect was at 15 days after the last session.

Clinical Trial Demonstrates Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Improving Pain Management from Post-Laminectomy Syndrome

Chronic pain, a multidimensional experience affecting individuals’ sensory, cognitive, and emotional aspects, significantly impacts their quality of life. Post-laminectomy syndrome, a condition characterized by persistent back pain following spinal surgery, often leads to disability and increased healthcare utilization. Methods: This randomized, controlled, blind clinical trial aimed to investigate the efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in managing pain from post-laminectomy syndrome in patients. Twenty-four participants were assigned to three groups: sham stimulation, active stimulation over primary motor cortex (M1), or stimulation over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Stimulation was administered for five consecutive days, 20 minutes per session, using a current of 1.5 mA through 25 cm2 electrodes. Pain intensity was assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before, during, and after intervention. Results: An ANOVA model demonstrates significant reduction in pain intensity compared to baseline in VAS, (F(7, 285) = 12.292;p 0.001;Power = 1.000;η2p = 0.534), in tDCS applied to M1, after five days of intervention. After stimulation, a significant improvement was observed in WHOQoL-Bref Quality of life item 1 (p = 0.04), considering statistical significant difference p 0.05. Correlation between the variables: quality of life, depression, anxiety and pain also demonstrates reduction in depression and anxiety according to Beck’s Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI and BAI), p 0.05. This effect was not observed in DLPFC stimulation group. Patients who believed they received active stimulation, in sham group, demonstrated potential for effective blinding. Conclusion: The tDCS applied to primary motor cortex effectively improved pain management and psychiatry symptoms in post-laminectomy syndrome patients. The technique’s low cost, ease of use, and high tolerability make it a promising adjuvant therapy for chronic pain conditions like post-laminectomy syndrome.

Hybrid Multi-Infeed Interaction Factor Calculation Method Considering Voltage Regulation Control Characteristics of Voltage Source Converter

Voltage source converter based high voltage direct current(VSC-HVDC)can participate in voltage regulation by flexible control to help maintain the voltage stability of the power grid.In order to quantitatively evaluate its influence on the voltage interaction between VSC-HVDC and line commutated converter based high voltage direct current(LCC-HVDC),this paper proposes a hybrid multi-infeed interaction factor(HMIIF)calculation method considering the voltage regulation control characteristics of VSC-HVDC.Firstly,for a hybrid multi-infeed high voltage direct current system,an additional equivalent operating admittance matrix is constructed to characterize HVDC equipment characteristics under small disturbance.Secondly,based on the characteristic curve between the reactive power and the voltage of a certain VSC-HVDC project,the additional equivalent operating admittance of VSC-HVDC is derived.The additional equivalent operating admittance matrix calculation method is proposed.Thirdly,the equivalent bus impedance matrix is obtained by modifying the alternating current(AC)system admittance matrix with the additional equivalent operating admittance matrix.On this basis,the HMIIF calculation method based on the equivalent bus impedance ratio is proposed.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified in a hybrid dual-infeed high voltage direct current system constructed in Power Systems Computer Aided Design(PSCAD),and the influence of voltage regulation control on HMIIF is analyzed.

Effects of direct current electric field on corrosion behaviour of copper, Cl- ion migration behaviour and dendrites growth under thin electrolyte layer

Effect of direct current electric field （DCEF） on corrosion behaviour of copper printed circuit board （PCB-Cu）, Cl-ion migration behaviour, dendrites growth under thin electrolyte layer was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） with energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）. Results indicate that DCEF decreases the corrosion of PCB-Cu;Cl-ions directionally migrate from the negative pole to the positive pole, and enrich on the surface of the positive pole, which causes serious localized corrosion; dendrites grow on the surface of the negative pole, and the rate and scale of dendrite growth become faster and greater with the increase of external voltage and exposure time, respectively.

Finite element numerical simulation of 2.5D direct current method based on mesh refinement and recoarsement

To deal with the problem of low computational precision at the nodes near the source and satisfy the requirements for computational efficiency in inversion imaging and finite-element numerical simulations of the direct current method, we propose a new mesh refinement and recoarsement method for a two-dimensional point source. We introduce the mesh refinement and mesh recoarsement into the traditional structured mesh subdivision. By refining the horizontal grids, the singularity owing to the point source is minimized and the topography is simulated. By recoarsening the horizontal grids, the number of grid cells is reduced significantly and computational efficiency is improved. Model tests show that the proposed method solves the singularity problem and reduces the number of grid cells by 80% compared to the uniform grid refinement.

An Empirical Direct Tunneling Current Expression for Ultra-Thin Oxide nMOSFETs

An empirical expression for the direct tunneling (DT) current is obtained.This expression can be used to calculate the DT current for nMOSFETs with ultra thin oxide when the oxide thickness is considered as an adjustable parameter.The results have good agreement with the experimental data.And the oxide thickness obtained is less than the value acquired from the capacitance voltage( C V )method.

Direct Tunneling Currents Through Gate Dielectrics in Deep Submicron MOSFETs

A direct tunneling model through gate dielectric s in CMOS devices in the frame of WKB approximation is reported.In the model,an im proved one-band effective mass approximation is used for the hole quantization, where valence band mixing is taken into account.By comparing to the experiments, the model is demonstrated to be applicable to both electron and hole tunneling c urrents in CMOS devices.The effect of the dispersion in oxide energy gap on the tunneling current is also studied.This model can be further extended to study th e direct tunneling current in future high-k materials.

Grain refinement of pure aluminum by direct current pulsed magnetic field and inoculation

The combined effects of direct current pulsed magnetic field （DC-PMF） and inoculation on pure aluminum were investigated, the grain refinement behavior of DC-PMF and inoculation was discussed. The experimental results indicate that the solidification micro structure of pure aluminum can be greatly refined under DC-PMF. Refinement of pure aluminum is attributed to electromagnetic undercooling and forced convection caused by DC-PMF. With single DC-PMF, the grain size in the equiaxed zone is uneven. However, under DC-PMF, by adding 0.05% （mass fraction） Al5Ti-B, the grain size of the sample is smaller, and the size distribution is more uniform than that of single DC-PMF. Furthermore, under the combination of DC-PMF and inoculation, with the increase of output current, the grain size is further reduced. When the output current increases to 100 A, the average grain size can decrease to 113 μn.

Single Bubble Behavior in Direct Current Electric Field

The investigation on bubble behavior in electric field helps to analyze the mechanism of electric enhancement of boiling heat transfer. Experiments were performed to investigate the bubble deformation in direct current （DC） electric field with bubbles attached to the orifice. The air bubbles were slowly generated in the transformer oil pool at different orifices, so that the effect of flow on bubble shape was eliminated. The results showed that the bubbles were elongated and the departure volume decreased when the electric field was intensified. The major and minor axes, aspect ratio and departure volume increased with increasing the orifice diameter. Both the electric field and orifice size have great influence on bubble behavior. The bubble deformation was also simulated to compare with the experimental results. The numerical and experimental data qualitatively agree with each other.

Transcranial direct current stimulation for auditory verbal hallucinations:a systematic review of clinical trials

Transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS)has been reportedly beneficial for different neurodegenerative disorders.tDCS has been reported as a potential adjunctive or alternative treatment for auditory verbal hallucination(AVH).This study aims to review the effects of tDCS on AVH in patients with schizophrenia through combining the evidence from randomized clinical trials(RCTs).The databases of PsycINFO(2000–2019),PubMed(2000–2019),EMBASE(2000–2019),CINAHL(2000–2019),Web of Science(2000–2019),and Scopus(2000–2019)were systematically searched.The clinical trials with RCT design were selected for final analysis.A total of nine RCTs were eligible and included in the review.Nine RCTs were included in the final analysis.Among them,six RCTs reported a significant reduction of AVH after repeated sessions of tDCS,whereas three RCTs did not show any advantage of active tDCS over sham tDCS.The current studies showed an overall decrease of approximately 28%of AVH after active tDCS and 10%after sham tDCS.The tDCS protocols targeting the sensorimotor frontal-parietal network showed greater treatment effects compared with the protocols targeting other regions.In this regard,cathodal tDCS over the left temporoparietal area showed inhibitory effects on AVHs.The most effective tDCS protocol on AVHs was twice-daily sessions(2 mA,20-minute duration)over 5 consecutive days(10 sessions)with the anode over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the cathode over the left temporal area.Some patient-specific and diseasespecific factors such as young age,nonsmoking status,and higher frequencies of AVHs seemed to be the predictors of treatment response.Taken together,the results of tDCS as an alternative treatment option for AVH show controversy among current literatures,since not all studies were positive.However,the studies targeting the same site of the brain showed that the tDCS could be a promising treatment option to reduce AVH.Further RCTs,with larger sample sizes,should be conducted to reach a conclusion on the efficacy of tDCS for AVH and to develop an effective therapeutic protocol for clinical setting.

Three modes of a direct-current plasma jet operated underwater to degrade methylene blue

A direct-current air plasma jet operated underwater presents three stable modes including an intermittently-pulsed discharge, a periodically-pulsed discharge and a continuous discharge with increasing the power voltage. The three discharge modes have different appearances for the plasma plumes. Moreover, gap voltage-current characteristics indicate that the continuous discharge is in a normal glow regime. Spectral lines from reactive species（OH, N2, N2^＋, Hα,and O） have been revealed in the emission spectrum of the plasma jet operated underwater.Spectral intensities emitted from OH radical and oxygen atom increase with increasing the power voltage or the gas flow rate, indicating that reactive species are abundant. These reactive species cause the degradation of the methylene blue dye in solution. Effects of the experimental parameters such as the power voltage, the gas flow rate and the treatment time are investigated on the degradation efficiency. Results indicate that the degradation efficiency increases with increasing the power voltage, the gas flow rate or the treatment time. Compared with degradation in the intermittently-pulsed mode or the periodically-pulsed one, it is more efficient in the continuous mode, reaching 98% after 21 min treatment.

Multiple linear system techniques for 3D finite element method modeling of direct current resistivity

The strategies that minimize the overall solution time of multiple linear systems in 3D finite element method (FEM) modeling of direct current (DC) resistivity were discussed. A global stiff matrix is assembled and stored in two parts separately. One part is associated with the volume integral and the other is associated with the subsurface boundary integral. The equivalent multiple linear systems with closer right-hand sides than the original systems were constructed. A recycling Krylov subspace technique was employed to solve the multiple linear systems. The solution of the seed system was used as an initial guess for the subsequent systems. The results of two numerical experiments show that the improved algorithm reduces the iterations and CPU time by almost 50%, compared with the classical preconditioned conjugate gradient method.