Document Type : Original article
Authors
1
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
2
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Educational Sciences and . Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
3
Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
4
Psychiatrist, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
5
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
10.32598/SJRM.14.4.3343
Abstract
Background and Aims Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic psychiatric condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry, which is associated with deficits in attention and concentration. The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in modulating the absolute power of alpha and theta brainwaves and enhancing visual and auditory attention in individuals with GAD.
Methods This is a single-blind, randomized clinical trial with a pre-test/post-test design, conducted on 24 patients with GAD aged between 18-40 years referred to medical centers in Tabriz, Iran, during 2023-2024. The GAD was diagnosed following clinical evaluations by a psychiatrist using the GAD 7-item scale., Participants were randomly assigned to intervention (n=12) or control (n=12) groups. Both groups completed the integrated visual and auditory continuous performance test (IVA-2) to evaluate their visual and auditory attention, and the quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) was used to measure absolute power in alpha and theta brainwave bands, before and after the intervention. The intervention group received tDCS at an intensity of 2 mA over the orbitofrontal cortex (Anode on Fp1 and cathode on Fp2) at 10 sessions, every other day, each session for 30 minutes. The control group received sham stimulation. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 20.
Results The statistical analyses revealed a significant difference in the activity of theta and alpha brainwaves and visual and auditory attention after intervention (P<0.05). The absolute power of theta waves showed a notable decrease from 108.28 to 99.44, while the absolute power of alpha waves increased from 73.66 to 175.33. In parallel, visual attention scores improved significantly from 596.86 to 1836.34, and auditory attention scores increased from 503.57 to 1850.30 after the intervention.
Conclusion The tDCS can modulate the absolute power of alpha and theta brainwaves and enhance visual and auditory attention of individuals with GAD. Further research is recommended to investigate the long-term effects of this neuromodulation technique.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)
