{
  "abstract": "Background: Recovery after lumbar fusion surgery is often affected by postoperative pain, emotional distress, sleep disturbance and delayed mobilisation, despite the use of enhanced recovery after surgery pathways. Alpha transcranial alternating current stimulation (alpha-tACS) over the sensorimotor cortex may modulate pain perception, emotional regulation and motor system performance by entraining abnormal neural oscillations. This trial aims to evaluate whether perioperative alpha-tACS improves early postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery.\n\nMethods and analysis: This single-centre, randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial will enrol 120 adults scheduled for elective one-level or two-level open posterior lumbar fusion. Participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either active alpha-tACS or sham stimulation. Stimulation will be delivered at four perioperative time points: 30 min before surgery, after extubation on the day of surgery and in the afternoons of postoperative days 1 and 2. Electrodes will be placed bilaterally over the sensorimotor cortex at C3 and C4. The primary outcome is the 15-item Quality of Recovery score on postoperative day 3. The key secondary outcome is global patient satisfaction with early postoperative pain management and the overall treatment experience at discharge. Other secondary outcomes include pain intensity, opioid consumption, disability, sleep quality, anxiety and depression, delirium, inflammatory markers, complications and length of hospital stay. The primary analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle, using a linear mixed-effects model adjusted for relevant baseline and surgical covariates.\n\nEthics and dissemination: This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University (XYFY2026-KL23-01). The trial will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, presentations at scientific conferences and appropriate academic or public communication channels.\n\nTrial registration number: ChiCTR2600122565.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China",
    "Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China",
    "Department of Anesthesiology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang, China"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
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  "author_total": 20,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mingkai Zhou"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mingshu Tao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Pinghao Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jinling Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Tianxi Ma"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiaoqin Guo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Chuyu Hang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mingyuan Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jiayi Zhong"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiaoya Nie"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Shuying Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yanan Duan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiaoze Sun"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yuyang Zheng"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Haochen Zhao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Linke Yu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xingyu Xiong"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yumei Yu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jun-Li Cao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "He Liu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4103-312X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4haj327dhe29q.bib",
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  "doi": "10.1136/bmjopen-2026-124850",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13723861/",
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  "pmcid": "PMC13723861",
  "pmid": "42957298",
  "published": "2026-10-29",
  "publisher": "BMJ",
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  "title": "Effect of alpha transcranial alternating current stimulation over the bilateral sensorimotor cortex on postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery: a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial protocol",
  "title_text": "Effect of alpha transcranial alternating current stimulation over the bilateral sensorimotor cortex on postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery: a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial protocol",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-05T12:20:36Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4haj327dhe29q",
  "venue": "BMJ Open",
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