Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Double Blinded, Randomized, Low-Intensity Sham-Controlled Crossover Trial

Muthulingam et al., 2026. Neuropsychiatric Investigation

No significant differences in pain scores were observed after four weeks of active tDCS compared with sham in patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Low-intensity sham tDCS (0.3 mA) significantly reduced both average and maximum pain during treatment, whereas active tDCS (2 mA) significantly reduced pain from baseline.
Treatments were self-administered at home using Sooma tDCS and consisted of 20-minute sessions.
The anodal electrode was placed over the left M1 and the cathodal electrode over the contralateral supraorbital area.
Responders to active tDCS showed increased temporal summation and lower pressure pain thresholds.