tDCS in patients with disorders of consciousness

Objective: We assessed the effects of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (DLPF-tDCS) on Coma Recovery Scale–Revised (CRS-R) scores in severely brain-damaged patients with disorders of consciousness.

Methods: In a double-blind sham-controlled crossover design, anodal and sham tDCS were delivered in randomized order over the left DLPF cortex for 20 minutes in patients in a vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) or in a minimally conscious state (MCS) assessed at least 1 week after acute traumatic or nontraumatic insult. Clinical assessments were performed using the CRS-R directly before and after anodal and sham tDCS stimulation. Follow-up outcome data were acquired 12 months after inclusion using the Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended.

Results: Patients in MCS (n = 30; interval 43 ± 63 mo; 19 traumatic, 11 nontraumatic) showed a significant treatment effect (p = 0.003) as measured by CRS-R total scores. In patients with VS/UWS (n = 25; interval 24 ± 48 mo; 6 traumatic, 19 nontraumatic), no treatment effect was observed (p = 0.952). Thirteen (43%) patients in MCS and 2 (8%) patients in VS/UWS further showed postanodal tDCS-related signs of consciousness, which were observed neither during the pre-tDCS evaluation nor during the pre- or post-sham evaluation (i.e., tDCS responders). Outcome did not differ between tDCS responders and nonresponders.

Conclusion: tDCS over left DLPF cortex may transiently improve signs of consciousness in MCS following severe brain damage as measured by changes in CRS-R total scores.

Classification of evidence: This study provides Class II evidence that short-duration tDCS of the left DLPF cortex transiently improves consciousness as measured by CRS-R assessment in patients with MCS.