Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences

Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences

The effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) plus core stability training on the Fatigue of patients with multiple sclerosis

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
seyed kazem mousavi sadati 1
Reza Behdari 2
Soudabeh Raeisi 3
Ghazal Marvastinia 4
1 1. PhD of motor behavior and Master of physical occupational therapy, Assistant professor of East Tehran branch, Islamic Azad university, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant professor of exercise physiology, Department of physical Education and sport, West Tehran Branch,Islamic Azad University, Tehran Iran.
3 MSc of Sports injuries and Corrective exercise, East Tehran branch, Islamic Azad university, Tehran, Iran
4 MSc of Sports injuries and Corrective exercise, East Tehran branch, Islamic Azad university, Tehran, Iran.
10.22038/mjms.2025.85695.4908
Abstract
Introduction: Fatigue were reported by physicians as the symptom of Multiple Sclerosis disease. The present study aims at Comparison of the effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) plus core stability training on fatigue of patients with multiple sclerosis.
Materials and methods: This is a pre-test – post-test experiment study. The statistical population included all patients suffering from multiple sclerosis that came to Rofaydeh Rehabilitation Hospital in Tehran, Iran. 30 male and female patients aged 27 to 70 were selected through available and purposive sampling and randomly divided into two experimental and control groups (each group 15 persons). After measuring the amount of fatigue with Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory questionnaire. The participants’ training included core stability training for 8 weeks (30-min to 40-min, 3 sessions per week) with 20 min online cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation, 2 sessions per week (sessions first and third). Afterward, the research variables were measured again.
Results: The results of this research revealed that the cerebellar current stimulation decreased general fatigue (P=0/001), physical fatigue (P<0/001), activity reduction (P<0/001) and (MFI) (P<0/001) in MS patients. However, it had no effect on these patients’ motivation reduction (P=0/097) and mental fatigue (P=0/080).
Conclusion: Therefore, the cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation has a beneficial effect on fatigue in MS patients.
Keywords
tDCS
Core stability training
Multiple Sclerosis
Fatigue
Subjects
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Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences
Volume 68, Issue 6
January and February 2026
Pages 1654-1663