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Report Approval for Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (RATES): expert recommendation based on a Delphi consensus
Vahid Nejati1,2, Zahra Vaziri3,4, Andrea Antal5
1Department of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. vahid.nejati@utdallas.edu.
Nature Protocols
|October 3, 2025
Summary
A new checklist, RATES, enhances the quality and reproducibility of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) research. It standardizes reporting practices for better study assessment and understanding in the field.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuromodulation
Background:
- Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a growing research and therapeutic tool.
- Lack of standardized reporting hinders tES study reproducibility and quality assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a consensus-based checklist for conducting and reporting tES studies.
- To enhance research quality, transparency, and reproducibility in the tES field.
Main Methods:
- A three-round Delphi approach involving 38 experts.
- Utilized metrics like interquartile deviation, positive response percentage, and mean importance ratings to establish consensus.
- Evaluated 70 initial items, retaining 66 based on consensus and importance.
Main Results:
- Developed the Report Approval for Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (RATES) checklist.
- The comprehensive checklist includes 66 items across five categories: participants, device, electrodes, current, and procedure.
- A shorter, essential version with 26 items was also distilled.
Conclusions:
- The RATES checklist provides a structured framework for researchers and reviewers.
- Aims to improve completeness, comprehensiveness, and transparency in tES study reporting.
- Facilitates harmonization, understanding, and comparability of tES research for better interpretability and reproducibility.
