Effects of Synergism of Mindfulness Practice Associated With Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation in Chronic Migraine: Pilot, Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial
Luana Dias Santiago Pimenta, Elidianne Layanne Medeiros de Araújo, Joyce Polàine Dos Santos Silva, Jamyson Júnior França, Pedro Nascimento Araújo Brito, Ledycnarf Januário de Holanda, Ana Raquel Rodrigues Lindquist, Luiz Carlos Serramo Lopez, Suellen Marinho Andrade
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience December 8, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.769619 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled double-blind clinical trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Female patients aged 18 to 65 years with chronic migraine |
| Intervention | anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex |
| Dose | 2 mA applied for 20 min |
| Duration | Twelve sessions three times a week for 4 weeks, with 20 min of daily home mindfulness practice |
| Measures | Five Facet of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-BR), Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS), Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness combined with active anodal tDCS over the left DLPFC produced larger improvements than sham tDCS plus mindfulness across mindfulness, disability, and headache impact measures, though only the HIT-6 difference reached significance between groups. The authors describe this as the first therapeutic evidence that the combination increases attention and provides analgesic benefit in chronic migraine. |
Abstract
Chronic migraine is a difficult disease to diagnose, and its pathophysiology remains undefined. Its symptoms affect the quality of life and daily living tasks of the affected person, leading to momentary disability. This is a pilot, randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial study with female patients between 18 and 65 years old with chronic migraine. The patients underwent twelve mindfulness sessions paired with anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), with current intensity of 2 mA applied for 20 min, three times a week for 4 weeks. In addition, 20 min of mindfulness home practices were performed by guided meditation audio files. A total of 30 participants were evaluated after the treatment, and these were subdivided into two groups-active tDCS and sham tDCS, both set to mindfulness practice. The FFMQ-BR (Five Facet of Mindfulness Questionnaire), MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment), and HIT-6 (Headache Impact Test) questionnaires were used to evaluate the outcomes. After the treatment, the active mindfulness and tDCS group showed better results in all outcomes. The sham group also showed improvements, but with smaller effect sizes compared to the active group. The only significant difference in the intergroup analysis was the outcome evaluated by HIT-6 in the post treatment result. Our results provide the first therapeutic evidence of mindfulness practices associated with left DLPFC anodal tDCS with a consequent increase in the level of full attention and analgesic benefits in the clinical symptoms of patients with chronic migraine.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Combination of non-invasive brain stimulation with mindfulness-based interventions for anxiety and depression symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience November 17, 2024
- Mindfulness practices and transcranial direct current stimulation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-reported mindfulness. Brain and Cognition May 27, 2025
- Stimulated brains and meditative minds: A systematic review on combining low intensity transcranial electrical stimulation and meditation in humans. International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP February 3, 2023
Cites 15
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
- Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience December 3, 2007
- Validity evidence of the brazilian version of the five facet mindfulness questionnaire (FFMQ) Psicologia Teoria e Pesquisa September 1, 2014
- Mindfulness Meditation Is Related to Long-Lasting Changes in Hippocampal Functional Topology during Resting State: A Magnetoencephalography Study Neural Plasticity December 18, 2018
- Reduced age-associated brain changes in expert meditators: a multimodal neuroimaging pilot study Scientific Reports August 25, 2017
and 10 more in the library