Two trained rehabilitation physicians will recruit 24 healthy volunteers over 50 years old and 72 KOA patients according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients should meet the following conditions: (1) diagnosed with KOA according to the 2021 Chinese Orthopedics Association diagnosis and treatment guidelines [25 ]; (2) knee pain (previous week) score ≥ 3 on the NRS; (3) Kellgren–Lawrence grade I-III [26 ]; (4) right-handed; (5) normal lower limbs; and (6) no open wounds or metal foreign bodies near the knee joint.
The exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, gout or severe osteoporosis; (2) having undergone knee surgery or received an intra knee injection within the past 6 months; (3) experiencing depression (using the Self-rating depression scale, depression severity index < 0. 50 is no depression [27 (link)]), anxiety (using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, standard score < 50 is no anxiety [28 ]), mania (using the Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Scale, ≤ 5 is no mania [29 (link)]), dementia and obvious cognitive impairment (using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, ≥ 26 is normal [30 (link)]); (4) having a cancerous tumor, severe bronchiectasis, acute suppurative inflammation, high fever, active pulmonary tuberculosis, glaucoma, heart failure, severe anemia, cerebrovascular disease, or having a pacemaker implanted in the body; (5) having a history of epilepsy or taking antiepileptic drugs; (6) taking drugs that change the excitability of the cerebral cortex (such as sedative-hypnotics or antidepressants); (6) unable to participate in the trial due to other health problems; and (7) unable to sign the informed consent or participate in other scientific research projects(for example, a sudden fall, sudden low back pain, shoulder pain and other sudden diseases).
The exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, gout or severe osteoporosis; (2) having undergone knee surgery or received an intra knee injection within the past 6 months; (3) experiencing depression (using the Self-rating depression scale, depression severity index < 0. 50 is no depression [27 (link)]), anxiety (using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, standard score < 50 is no anxiety [28 ]), mania (using the Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Scale, ≤ 5 is no mania [29 (link)]), dementia and obvious cognitive impairment (using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, ≥ 26 is normal [30 (link)]); (4) having a cancerous tumor, severe bronchiectasis, acute suppurative inflammation, high fever, active pulmonary tuberculosis, glaucoma, heart failure, severe anemia, cerebrovascular disease, or having a pacemaker implanted in the body; (5) having a history of epilepsy or taking antiepileptic drugs; (6) taking drugs that change the excitability of the cerebral cortex (such as sedative-hypnotics or antidepressants); (6) unable to participate in the trial due to other health problems; and (7) unable to sign the informed consent or participate in other scientific research projects(for example, a sudden fall, sudden low back pain, shoulder pain and other sudden diseases).
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