scholarly journals Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study on Efficacy, Feasibility, Safety, and Unexpected Outcomes in Tic Disorder and Epilepsy

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Giordano D’Urso ◽  
Elena Toscano ◽  
Veronica Sanges ◽  
Anne Sauvaget ◽  
Christine E. Sheffer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Tic Disorder ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation

Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display distinctive neurophysiological characteristics associated with significant cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the frontal or temporoparietal lobes has demonstrated potential to reduce the severity of ASD-related symptoms. Recently, the cerebellum has been identified as a brain area involved in ASD pathophysiology. In this open-label pilot study, seven ASD patients aged between 9 and 13 years underwent 20 daily sessions of 20 min cathodal stimulation of the right cerebellar lobe. At the end of the treatment, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) scores showed a 25% mean reduction in global severity of symptoms, with a more pronounced reduction in the “social withdrawal and lethargy” (−35%), “hyperactivity and noncompliance” (−26%), and “irritability, agitation, and crying” (−25%) subscales. Minor and no improvement were observed in the “stereotypic behavior” (−18%) and “inappropriate speech” (−0%) subscales, respectively. Improvements were not detected in the two patients who were taking psychotropic drugs during the study. Clinical response showed a symptom-specific time course. Quality of sleep and mood improved earlier than hyperactivity and social withdrawal. The treatment was generally accepted by patients and well tolerated. No serious adverse events were reported. Stimulation also appeared to markedly reduce the severity of tics in a patient with comorbid tic disorder and led to the disappearance of a frontal epileptogenic focus in another patient with a history of seizures. In conclusion, cerebellar tDCS is safe, feasible, and potentially effective in the treatment of ASD symptoms among children. Strategies to improve recruitment and retention are discussed.

scholarly journals Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Jiujun Qiu ◽  
Xuejun Kong ◽  
Jihan Li ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
Yiting Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sleep Habits ◽  
Lateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Children With Asd

Recently, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been applied to relieve symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this prospective, parallel, single-blinded, randomized study, we investigate the modulation effect of three-week tDCS treatment at the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in children with ASD. 47 children with ASD were enrolled, and 40 (20 in each group) completed the study. The primary outcomes are Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), and the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R). We found that children with ASD can tolerate three-week tDCS treatment with no serious adverse events detected. A within-group comparison showed that real tDCS, but not sham tDCS, can significantly reduce the scores of CARS, Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and general impressions in CARS (15th item). Real tDCS produced significant score reduction in the CSHQ and in CARS general impressions when compared to the effects of sham tDCS. The pilot study suggests that three-week left DLPFC tDCS is well-tolerated and may hold potential in relieving some symptoms in children with ASD.

scholarly journals Brain Metabolite Changes After Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narong Auvichayapat ◽  
Niramol Patjanasoontorn ◽  
Warinthorn Phuttharak ◽  
Chanyut Suphakunpinyo ◽  
Keattichai Keeratitanont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Brain Metabolite

scholarly journals Repeated Sessions of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, and Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Prillinger ◽  
Stefan T. Radev ◽  
Gabriel Amador de Lara ◽  
Manfred Klöbl ◽  
Rupert Lanzenberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation

Background: Social–emotional difficulties are a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Accordingly, individuals with ASD have problems with social cognition such as recognizing emotions from other peoples' faces. Various results from functional magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography studies as well as eye-tracking data reveal a neurophysiological basis of these deficits by linking them to abnormal brain activity. Thus, an intervention targeting the neural origin of ASD impairments seems warranted. A safe method able to influence neural activity is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). This non-invasive brain stimulation method has already demonstrated promising results in several neuropsychiatric disorders in adults and children. The aim of this project is to investigate the effects of tDCS on ASD symptoms and their neural correlates in children and adolescents with ASD.Method: This study is designed as a double-blind, randomized, and sham-controlled trial with a target sample size of 20 male participants (aged 12–17 years) diagnosed with ASD. Before randomization, the participants will be stratified into comorbid depression, comorbid ADHS/conduct disorder, or no-comorbidity groups. The intervention phase comprises 10 sessions of anodal or sham tDCS applied over the left prefrontal cortex within 2 consecutive weeks. To engage the targeted brain regions, participants will perform a social cognition training during the stimulation. TDCS-induced effects on ASD symptoms and involved neural circuits will be investigated through psychological, neurophysiological, imaging, and behavioral data at pre- and post-measurements. Tolerability will be evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. Follow-up assessments 1 and 6 months after the intervention will examine long-lasting effects.Discussion: The results of this study will provide insights into the changeability of social impairments in ASD by investigating social and emotional abilities on different modalities following repeated sessions of anodal tDCS with an intra-simulation training. Furthermore, this trial will elucidate the tolerability and the potential of tDCS as a new treatment approach for ASD in adolescents.Clinical Trial Registration: The study is ongoing and has been registered in the German Registry of Clinical Trials (DRKS00017505) on 02/07/2019.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document