Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on cognitive function in delayed encephalopathy after carbon monoxide poisoning

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive function of delayed encephalopathy after carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP) . Methods: A total of 58 patients with DEACMP admitted to the Emergency Medicine Department of Hudson International Peace Hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were included. According to the random number table, the patients were randomly divided into study group and control group, with 29 patients in each group. Patients in both groups were given nutritional nerve therapy, improved microcirculation, adrenal cortical hormone and other drugs, as well as hyperbaric oxygen and rehabilitation training, once per day. The study group was treated with tDCS (electrode pads were placed and current stimulation was given 30 min/time) 1/d on the basis of conventional treatment, while the control group was treated with tDCS pseudo stimulation (electrode pads were placed and current stimulation was given for 10 s) 1/d for 30 days consecutively. The auditory event-related potential P300 (ERP-P300) was tested before and 30 days after treatment, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale, Barthel index (BI) and the National Institutes of Health Neurological Impairment score (NIHSS) were used to evaluate and analyze the patients. Results: There was no significant difference in scores between the two groups before treatment (all P>0.05) . After 30 days of treatment, the MMSE score, orientation, memory, attention and computing power, and language ability of the study group were all higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) . 90 days after treatment, the BI of the study group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05) . After 30 days of treatment, the NIHSS score of the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05) . The latency of ERP-P300 in the study group was shorter than that in the control group, and the amplitude was higher than that in the control group at 30 days after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . The latency of ERP-P300 was negatively correlated with the total MMSE score before and after DEACMP treatment (r=-0.837, -0.819, P<0.05) . The latency of ERP-P300 was negatively correlated with orientation, attention and computing power, and language ability before treatment (r=-0.698, -0.675, -0.742, P<0.05) . Conclusion: TDCS treatment can help improve the cognitive function of DEACMP patients, and ERP-P300 test can help determine the cognitive function severity of patients.