Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health and Addictions, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021 Jul;48:89-109. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.02.017. Epub 2021 Mar 24.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has gained relevance in recent years as an alternative treatment for neuropsychiatric conditions. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the use of tDCS in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Both electronic and manual searches were conducted to identify studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals addressing the use of tDCS in ASD population. A total of 16 studies fulfilled the criteria to be included in the review. Studies were conducted both in child and adult population. Anodal stimulation on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was the most commonly chosen methodology. Outcomes addressed ASD symptoms and neuropsychological functions. Meta-analytic synthesis identified improvements in social, health, and behavioral problem domains of the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist. Limitations included high heterogeneity in the methodology and low-efficacy study designs (pre-post and single-case studies). Recent controlled trials shed promising results for the use of tDCS in ASD. A standardized stimulation protocol and a consensus in the measures used in the evaluation of the efficacy are imperative.
经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）是一种非侵入性的脑刺激技术，近年来作为神经精神疾病的替代治疗方法引起了关注。本研究旨在对 tDCS 在自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）中的应用进行系统评价。通过电子和手动搜索，确定了发表在同行评议的科学期刊上的研究，这些研究涉及 tDCS 在 ASD 人群中的应用。共有 16 项研究符合纳入标准。这些研究在儿童和成人中进行。左背外侧前额叶的阳极刺激是最常用的方法。研究结果涉及 ASD 症状和神经心理学功能。荟萃分析确定了自闭症治疗评估检查表的社会、健康和行为问题领域的改善。局限性包括方法学的高度异质性和低疗效研究设计（前后测和单病例研究）。最近的对照试验为 tDCS 在 ASD 中的应用提供了有希望的结果。标准化的刺激方案和在评估疗效时使用的共识措施至关重要。
