Side effects and adverse effects reported in studies using rTMS and tDCS
| Study | Side and adverse effects |
|---|---|
| rTMS studies | |
| Bloch et al.71 | Not tested, but authors observed differences in the somatosensory experience of real rTMS and sham, which limited true blinding |
| Gomez et al.52 | Majority reported transient mild headache and scalp discomfort; a minority reported neck pain. No seizure-like cortical activity was found. One case of slight and brief dizziness |
| Paz et al.73 | Not tested |
| Weaver et al.72 | Minority reported transient mild headaches and scalp discomfort |
| tDCS studies | |
| Allenby et al.65 | Burning, itching, pain and tingling were rated significantly higher during anodal tDCS compared with sham |
| Bandeira et al.51 | Majority reported mild to moderate headache, tingling, itching, burning sensation and redness of the skin. Minority reported mild neck pain, sleepiness and static shock. One parent reported child was “much worse” after stimulation |
| Breitling et al.67 | Skin sensations were rated higher during cathodal tDCS relative to sham |
| Cachoeira et al.74 | Comparable reports of headache, tingling, itching, burning sensation and tiredness were found in both sham and anodal tDCS. One patient withdrew after the first sessions because of an “acute mood change, feeling sad, hypobulia, tension … 5 hours after stimulation and persisted in a milder form into the next day” |
| Cosmo et al.66 | None reported |
| Jacoby et al.42 | Not tested, but authors reported that stimulation was well tolerated and no side effects were reported |
| Munz et al.60 | Not tested, but no side effects were reported |
| Nejati et al.68 | Reports of mild itching or tingling under electrodes |
| Prehn-Kristensen et al.61 | Not tested. No side effects reported |
| Soff et al.62 | About half of participants reported tingling and itching sensations under electrode during sham and anodal tDCS |
| Soltaninejad et al.64* | Not reported |
| Soltaninejad et al.43* | Several participants dropped out because of tingling sensation and headache |
| Sotnikova et al.63 | About half of participants reported tingling and itching sensations under electrode during sham and anodal tDCS |
rTMS = repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; tDCS = transcranial direct current stimulation.
↵* Personal communication, 2019.