Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance
Published on: July 19, 2017
Reducing state anxiety with alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation.
Rubén Romero-Marín1, Simon Fankhauser2, Javier Solana-Sánchez3
1Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació adscrit a la UAB, Badalona, Spain; Departament de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; Alimente Foundation, Specialized center for eating-related and behavioral addictions, Barcelona, Spain.
A single session of alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) effectively reduced state anxiety after acute stress in healthy adults. This neuromodulation approach offers a scalable method for dampening anxiety reactivity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuromodulation
Background:
- Anxiety reactivity to acute stress is a key vulnerability factor across various mental health conditions.
- Investigating non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like tACS is crucial for understanding and managing anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if a single session of alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) targeting the frontoparietal control network can reduce state anxiety evoked by acute stress in healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, blinded, sham-controlled study involving 42 healthy adults.
- Participants underwent an acute stress task (adapted moving-circles paradigm with aversive stimuli) before and after active or sham 10-Hz alpha-tACS.
- Stimulation involved 20 minutes of tACS delivered via specific electrode placements (F3, P3, Cz, T7).
Main Results:
- State anxiety (STAI-S) significantly decreased after active tACS but slightly increased after sham stimulation, indicating a protocol-specific effect.
- No significant changes were observed in perceived stress appraisal (SAAS) or resting-state alpha power.
- Task-related left-frontal relative alpha showed a trend toward larger increases following active tACS, while electrodermal and pupil measures did not differ between groups.
Conclusions:
- A single session of alpha-tACS demonstrated a modest yet selective reduction in stress-evoked state anxiety.
- These findings support oscillatory neuromodulation as a promising and scalable approach for mitigating anxiety reactivity.
