STIM: Brain stimulation for anxiety, trauma, and agression complaints
This study investigates whether brain stimulation helps to reduce anxiety, trauma and aggression symptoms by improving impulse control.
Introduction
About half of the patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) still experience substantial symptoms after trauma-focused therapy. This has also been shown by research at BRAIC. What can we do for this chronic patient group? In this study, we investigate whether a mild form of brain stimulation has positive effects on the symptoms of these patients.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, or tDCS, is a widely used and mild technique to enhance or inhibit brain function. In this study, we aim to use tDCS to enhance brain function in the frontal region of the brain, the prefrontal lobe. The prefrontal lobe is involved in controlling emotions and unwanted or impulsive reactions. Stimulating the prefrontal lobe could improve that function. This could have a positive effect on the symptoms of patients with PTSD, anxiety symptoms and aggression regulation problems.
This study consists of a short intervention in which participants receive five sessions of brain stimulation with tDCS, or five sessions of placebo stimulation (control group). We test whether this tDCS intervention improves impulse control and anxiety, trauma and aggression symptoms. This will be measured using computer tasks and questionnaires. In a second part of the study, we also explore experiences of patients and caregivers with such a tDCS intervention.
Project Overview
Objective:
- To test if brain stimulation with tDCS helps to better control impulsive reactions.
- To test if brain stimulation with tDCS reduces anxiety, trauma and aggression symptoms.
- To understand how brain stimulation with tDCS as a treatment tool is perceived by patients and caregivers.
Target population:
Military personnel and veterans (18-60 years old) who receive treatment for PTSD, an anxiety symptoms or aggression regulation problems.
Timeframe:
The study was conducted between 2016 and 2020.
Results:
The second part of the study showed that both patients and healthcare providers had a positive view of tDCS as a treatment tool that could potentially be added to psychological treatment. However, it is important for them to first fully understand how tDCS works and can affect symptoms.
The main study showed that all participants improved their control over impulsive reactions while doing the computer task in the study, but the tDCS intervention had no effect on this performance. The tDCS intervention also had no effect on symptom decrease during the study period. In summary, this study provided no evidence for positive effects of this tDCS intervention. Further research into more effective forms of brain stimulation continues.