Transcranial alternating current stimulation in subjects with insomnia symptoms: A randomized, double-blind and controlled study

IF 3.7 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Journal of psychiatric research Pub Date : 2025-04-11 DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.04.020

Minji Lee , Jung Kyung Hong , Yeaeun Lee , In-Young Yoon

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

This study evaluated whether transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, could alleviate insomnia symptoms.

Methods

Participants exhibiting insomnia symptoms without meeting the criteria for insomnia disorder were recruited and randomized into 0.5 Hz, 100 Hz, or a sham group. To maximize the delivery of intracranial stimulation, a carrier frequency of 10 kHz was utilized. Participants were required to use the device for 30 min, twice daily for six weeks.

Results

Eighty-seven participants (74 females, mean age = 54.15 ± 0.73 years) were randomized and completed the trial. The Insomnia Severity Index scores showed significant improvement across all three groups without a significant difference between groups (sham: 13.83 to 8.45, p < 0.05; 0.5 Hz: 12.03 to 8.79, p < 0.05; 100 Hz: 12.38 to 7.83, p < 0.05). In the average sleep diary over four days, sleep latency (SL) and wake after sleep onset (WASO) decreased in all three groups (sham, 0.5 Hz, 100 Hz) without significant group by visit interaction (SL: −5.74 min, −8.94 min, −16.53 min, respectively, p = 0.345; WASO: −10.74 min, −23.62 min, −16.73 min, respectively, p = 0.431). No significant improvements were observed in actigraphy-based sleep measures.

Conclusions

tACS did not demonstrate greater efficacy than sham treatment in ameliorating symptoms of insomnia. Future studies should account for the potent placebo effect on sleep and the potential for high carrier frequencies to obscure the target frequencies.

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经颅交流电刺激治疗失眠症：一项随机、双盲和对照研究

本研究评估经颅交流电刺激（tACS），一种非侵入性脑刺激技术，是否可以缓解失眠症状。方法招募有失眠症状但不符合失眠障碍标准的受试者，随机分为0.5 Hz组、100 Hz组和假组。为了最大限度地提供颅内刺激，使用10 kHz的载波频率。参与者被要求使用该设备30分钟，每天两次，持续六周。结果随机选取87例受试者，其中女性74例，平均年龄54.15±0.73岁。失眠严重程度指数得分在所有三组中均有显著改善，组间无显著差异(sham: 13.83至8.45,p <；0.05;0.5 Hz: 12.03至8.79,p <；0.05;100赫兹：12.38至7.83,p <；0.05)。在四天的平均睡眠日记中，所有三组（假手术，0.5 Hz, 100 Hz）的睡眠潜伏期（SL）和睡眠后觉醒（WASO）均有所下降，没有显著的访问交互组(SL分别为- 5.74分钟，- 8.94分钟，- 16.53分钟，p = 0.345；WASO:−10.74 min,−23.62 min,−16.73 min, p = 0.431)。在基于活动记录仪的睡眠测量中没有观察到明显的改善。结论acs在改善失眠症方面并不比假性治疗有更大的疗效。未来的研究应该考虑到有效的安慰剂对睡眠的影响，以及高载波频率掩盖目标频率的可能性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of psychiatric research 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

7.30

自引率

2.10%

发文量

622

审稿时长

130 days

期刊介绍： Founded in 1961 to report on the latest work in psychiatry and cognate disciplines, the Journal of Psychiatric Research is dedicated to innovative and timely studies of four important areas of research: (1) clinical studies of all disciplines relating to psychiatric illness, as well as normal human behaviour, including biochemical, physiological, genetic, environmental, social, psychological and epidemiological factors; (2) basic studies pertaining to psychiatry in such fields as neuropsychopharmacology, neuroendocrinology, electrophysiology, genetics, experimental psychology and epidemiology; (3) the growing application of clinical laboratory techniques in psychiatry, including imagery and spectroscopy of the brain, molecular biology and computer sciences;