Academic Journal
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an add-on treatment for restricted repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorder - An open-label prospective feasibility study.
| Τίτλος: | Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an add-on treatment for restricted repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorder - An open-label prospective feasibility study. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Atmaram SK; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hombegowda Nagar, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India., Manohar H; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hombegowda Nagar, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India. Electronic address: harshinimanohar1990@gmail.com., Pathak H; Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hombegowda Nagar, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India., Sreeraj VS; Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hombegowda Nagar, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India., Venkatasubramanian G; Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hombegowda Nagar, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India., Kommu JVS; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hombegowda Nagar, Hosur Road, Bengaluru, India. |
| Πηγή: | Psychiatry research [Psychiatry Res] 2026 Oct; Vol. 364, pp. 117321. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 01. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press Country of Publication: Ireland NLM ID: 7911385 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1872-7123 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01651781 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Psychiatry Res Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Limerick : Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press Original Publication: Amsterdam, Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press. |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation*/methods , Executive Function*/physiology , Autism Spectrum Disorder*/therapy , Autism Spectrum Disorder*/complications , Stereotyped Behavior*/physiology, Humans ; Adolescent ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Child ; Treatment Outcome ; Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex |
| Περίληψη: | Introduction: Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) among autistic individuals can lead to significant distress and functional impairment and may include self-injurious behaviors. The study aimed to assess the feasibility, tolerability, and impact of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on RRBs and executive functioning. Methods: We conducted an open-label feasibility trial of add-on tDCS involving 10 sessions of anodal stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cathodal stimulation over the supplementary motor area in autistic adolescents with clinically significant and/or dysfunctional RRBs. RRBs were assessed using the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R), and executive functioning using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2nd edition (BRIEF-2)-parent report. Data were analysed using linear mixed-effect models. Results: The intervention was feasible, with 16 of 17 adolescents completing the protocol and follow-up assessments. No serious adverse effects were reported. At 1-week post-intervention, there was a significant reduction in RBS-R overall scores (β = -4.00, p < 0.001, ES = -1.60, 95% CI = -2.43, -0.78), with further improvement at 1-month (β = -7.13, p < .001, ES= -2.85, 95% CI = -3.81, -1.90), and sustained effects at 3-months (β = -7.00, p < .001, ES= -2.80, 95% CI = -3.77, -1.84). Executive functioning also showed significant improvement at 1- and 3-months. Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that add-on tDCS may improve RRBs and executive functioning in autistic adolescents. The large ES warrants cautious interpretation, given the open-label design, reliance on parent-rated measures, small sample size, and needs to be examined in randomised controlled designs. (Copyright © 2026 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial conflicts of interest related to this study. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Adolescent; Autism spectrum disorder; Executive function; RRBs; Stereotyped behavior; Transcranial direct current stimulation |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260708 Date Completed: 20260810 Latest Revision: 20260810 |
| Update Code: | 20260811 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117321 |
| PMID: | 42418906 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
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