Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Remotely Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: An Update on Safety and Tolerability
Published on: October 7, 2017
Combined Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation With Sensory-Based Treatments in Autism: Preliminary Report
Shih-Han Chou1, Yawei Cheng2, Sung-Hui Tseng1
1Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Insights
Sensory-based treatments combined with active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) significantly reduced autism severity and behavioral issues in children with autism spectrum condition (ASC). This approach may offer a novel therapeutic avenue for ASC symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Autism spectrum condition (ASC) presents challenges in sensory regulation and social interaction.
- Current treatments for ASC often involve behavioral interventions, but novel therapeutic approaches are needed.
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique with potential therapeutic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of sensory-based treatments (SBT) combined with active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left prefrontal cortex in children with ASC.
- To compare the effects of SBT+active tDCS (SBT+AtDCS) with SBT+sham tDCS (SBT+StDCS) on autism symptoms.
- To assess the impact of the combined treatment on sensory regulation, autism severity, and behavioral difficulties.
Main Methods:
- Eleven children diagnosed with ASC were recruited for this preliminary study.
- Participants were randomly assigned to receive either SBT+AtDCS or SBT+StDCS over 10 sessions within a 2-week period.
- Improvements in sensory regulation, autism severity, and behavioral difficulties were assessed post-treatment.
Main Results:
- All participants demonstrated significant improvements in sensory regulation and response to stimuli after treatment.
- The group receiving SBT+AtDCS showed significantly greater reductions in autism severity and behavioral difficulties compared to the SBT+StDCS group.
- This suggests a potential synergistic effect of combining SBT with active tDCS.
Conclusions:
- This preliminary study provides the first evidence that combining sensory-based treatments with active transcranial direct current stimulation may alleviate symptoms in children with autism spectrum condition.
- The findings suggest that SBT+AtDCS may be a promising therapeutic strategy for improving core symptoms of ASC.
- Further research with larger sample sizes, neuroimaging, and longitudinal designs is warranted to validate these results.
Abstract:
This study investigated the effects of sensory-based treatments (SBT) combined with active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left prefrontal cortex (SBT+AtDCS), and SBT combined with sham tDCS (SBT+StDCS) in autism spectrum condition (ASC). Eleven ASC children were randomly assigned to receive either SBT+AtDCS or SBT+StDCS for 10 sessions over 2 weeks. All children exhibited significant improvement in their ability to regulate and respond to sensory stimuli after treatment. The SBT+AtDCS group showed significant reductions in autism severity and behavioral difficulties compared to the SBT+StDCS group. This preliminary report is the first to suggest that SBT combined with active tDCS may alleviate symptoms associated with ASC. Future research with a larger sample, neural measures, and a longitudinal design is required for validation.
