Scalp Stimulation Targets for Neurological Conditions-Evidence from Large-Scale Meta-Analyses.

Abstract

Neurological disorders are a major source of suffering for patients worldwide. Scalp stimulation methods have been widely applied in treating a number of neurological disorders. Recently, our understanding of pathological mechanisms associated with neurological disorders has been enhanced significantly. Nevertheless, these findings have yet to be well-integrated into scalp stimulation treatments for neurological disorders. In a previous study, we proposed new brain targets for scalp stimulation in the treatment of eight common mental disorders based on the results of a large-scale meta-analyses using Neurosynth. This study aims to extend our previous findings in identifying surface brain targets for seven common neurological disorders: Alzheimer's disease, aphasia, chronic pain, dementia, dyslexia, mild cognitive impairment, and Parkinson's disease, utilizing a similar method. We hidentified seven to eight potential scalp stimulation targets for each disorder and used both 10-20 EEG system and acupuncture points to locate these targets to facilitate its clinical application. The proposed target protocols may facilitate and extend clinical applications of scalp stimulation methods such as transcranial electrical stimulation and scalp acupuncture in the treatment of neurological disorders.