2.5. Treatment Procedures
skin itch
CORTEX, -20
All subjects were treated with cathodal/sham tDCS stimulation based on CGR (physiotherapy 40 min/d and occupational therapy 20 min/d). The stimulation site of tDCS was the location of the projection of the M1 area of the primary motor cortex of the lower limb of the healthy hemisphere on the body surface (according to the 10-20 International EEG System body surface localization method, the M1 area of the brain corresponds to C3/C4). The anode was placed in the contralateral supraorbital area. All subjects received two sessions (20 min once a day for 20 consecutive days) of tDCS treatment. The applied transcranial direct current stimulator was an IS200 intelligent stimulator (Sichuan Intelligent Electronic Industrial Company), and the stimulating electrodes were 5 cm × 5 cm isotonic saline gelatin sponge electrodes. The electric current smoothly increased to 2 mA and fell slowly for more than 40 seconds to ensure that the subjects tolerated the tingling sensation. The control group then received stimulation of 2.0 mA for 40 s (including 20 s each for the rise and fall of the current) at the beginning and ending time, causing a local skin itch similar to that of the test group. The treatment was completed by the same professional rehabilitation therapist using the same tDCS machine. Subjects were required to receive at least 80% of the treatments during the treatment period, i.e., to complete at least 16 treatments, or they were considered to be dislodged.