Bono, 2015¹⁶⁹

1 month, 2 months

Duration of pain: >2 years (mean NR)

Poor

A. Occipital TES (n=54): Electro-stimulator generated biphasic impulses via electrodes placed on occipital region bilaterally; pulse width: 250 µs; frequency: 40 Hz; intensity 20 mA.

B. Sham (n=29): Same device and procedure, but no current was delivered.

Treatment protocol: 30 minute sessions 3 times daily for two consecutive weeks (42 sessions total)

A vs. B

Age: 42 vs. 40 years

Female: 81% vs. 66%

Race: NR

Headache frequency: mean 29.0 days/month

Medication overuse: 43% vs. 52%

Baseline MIDAS (0-21+): 63 vs. 50

Baseline VAS pain (0−10): 8 vs. 8

A vs. B

1 month

Patients who achieved >50% reduction in headache days: 85% vs. 7%; RR 12.4 (95% CI 3.2 to 47.3)

2 months

MIDAS: 16 vs. 51; difference −35.0 (95% CI −42.6 to −27.4)

VAS pain (0−10): 3 vs. 8; difference −5.0 (95% CI −5.8 to −4.2)

Proportion of patients still overusing medications: 7% vs. 48%; RR 0.15 (95% CI 0.06 to 0.42)

A vs. B

2 months

BDI-II: 7 vs. 8; difference −1.0 (95% CI −2.2 to 0.2)

HAM-A: 6 vs. 7; difference −1.0 (95% CI −1.9 to −0.1)