To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report
in the literature showing the efficacy of transcranial direct current
stimulation (tDCS) in treating refractory post-herpetic neuralgia in a patient
with dermatomyositis. In addition, our results showed that tDCS sessions are
safe and do not lead to disease relapse. Therefore, despite the limitations of
being a case report, this study provides encouraging results that need to be
widely explored in studies with a representative number of patients and with an
appropriate design for patients with this systemic rheumatic autoimmune
disease.
References
[1]
Pacheco-Barrios, K., Cardenas-Rojas, A., Thibaut, A., et al. (2020) Methods and Strategies of tDCS for the Treatment of Pain: Current Status and Future Directions. Expert Review of Medical Devices, 17, 879-898. https://doi.org/10.1080/17434440.2020.1816168
[2]
Pinto, C.B., Costa, B.T., Duarte, D. and Fregni, F. (2018) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as a Therapeutic Tool for Chronic Pain. The Journal of ECT, 34, e36-e50. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCT.0000000000000518
[3]
Yan, Q.-H., Zhang, Y.-H., Du, S.-H., Wang, Y.-C., et al. (2022) Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Central Neuropathic Pain. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 15, 879909. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2022.879909
[4]
O’Connel, N.E., Marston, L., Spencer, S., et al. (2018) Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Techniques for Chronic Pain. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 16, CD0008208.
[5]
Lundberg, I.E., Tjarnlund, A., Bottai, M., et al. (2017) 2017 European League against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology Classification Criteria for Adult and Juvenile Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies and Their Major Subgroups. Arthritis & Rheumatology, 69, 2271-2282. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.40320
[6]
De Sousa, L.F.A., Missé, R.G., Dos Santos, L.M., et al. (2022) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Is Safe and Effective in Autoimmune Myopathies: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology. https://doi.org/10.55563/clinexprheumatol/qjm9hb
[7]
Misse, R.G., De Sousa, L.F.A., Dos Santos, L.M., et al. (2020) Safety of Transcranial Direct Current Electrical Stimulation in Dermatomyositis: A Case Report. Open Journal of Rheumatology and Autoimmune Diseases, 10, 88-93. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojra.2020.102011
[8]
Rider, L.G., Werth, V.P., Huber, A.M., et al. (2011) Measures of Adult and Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Polymyositis, and Inclusion Body Myositis: Physician and Patient/Parent Global Activity, Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)/Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (C-HAQ), Childhood Myositis Assessment Scale (CMAS), Myositis Disease Activity Assessment Tool (MDAAT), Disease Activity Score (DAS), Short Form 36 (SF-36), Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ), Physician Global Damage, Myositis Damage Index (MDI), Quantitative Muscle Testing (QMT), Myositis Functional Index-2 (FI-2), Myositis Activities Profile (MAP), Inclusion Body Myositis Functional Rating Scale (IBMFRS), Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI), Cutaneous Assessment Tool (CAT), Dermatomyositis Skin Severity Index (DSSI), Skindex, and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Arthritis Care & Research, 63, S118-S157. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.20532
[9]
Carvalho, A.B., Garcia, J.B.S., Silva, T.K.M. and Ribeiro, J.V.F. (2016) Tradução e adaptação transcultural da Pain Quality Assessment Scale (PQAS) para a versão brasileira. Brazilian Journal of Anesthesiology, 66, 94-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjan.2013.10.016
[10]
Melzack, R. (1975) The McGill Pain Questionnaire: Major Properties and Scoring Methods. Pain, 1, 277-299. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3959(75)90044-5
[11]
Da Mota Falcão, D., Ciconelli, R.M. and Ferraz, M.B. (2003) Translation and Cultural Adaptation of Quality-of-Life Questionnaires: An Evaluation of Methodology. The Journal of Rheumatology, 30, 379-385.
[12]
Fagerlund, A.J., Hansen, O.A. and Aslaksen, P.M. (2015) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as a Treatment for Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pain, 156, 62-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pain.0000000000000006
