Ratsapbhayakul Tinnaphat, Keeratitanont Keattichai, Chonprai Chanatiporn, Auvichayapat Narong, Suphakunpinyo Chanyut, Patjanasoontorn Niramol, Tiamkao Somsak, Tunkamnerdthai Orathai, Punjaruk Wiyada, Auvichayapat Paradee
Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Research Group of Thailand, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Dev Med Child Neurol. 2024 Sep;66(9):1244-1254. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15874. Epub 2024 Feb 2.
To understand the impact of anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) on non-verbal intelligence in high-functioning young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Thirty individuals with ASD were randomly divided into three groups receiving 2 mA, 20 minutes daily anodal tDCS for 10 sessions. Group A received 10 sham tDCS sessions, group B five real followed by five sham sessions, and group C received 10 real tDCS sessions. The total score of non-verbal intelligence was measured using the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, Fourth Edition. The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) was targeted using the International 10-20 electroencephalography system, and concurrent cognitive training was avoided.
Group C demonstrated a mean difference of 4.10 (95% confidence interval 1.41-6.79; p = 0.005) in Test of Nonverbal Intelligence scores compared with group A, with an effect size of 0.47. No significant differences were observed between groups A and B (p = 0.296), or between groups B and C (p = 0.140).
Ten sessions of anodal tDCS to the LDLPFC led to improved non-verbal intelligence among individuals with ASD. These results emphasize the potential of tDCS as a discrete method for boosting cognitive abilities in the high-functioning population with ASD. Future studies with larger groups of participants and extended observation periods are necessary to validate these findings.
了解阳极经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）对高功能自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）青年非言语智力的影响。
30名患有ASD的个体被随机分为三组，每天接受2毫安、20分钟的阳极tDCS，共10次。A组接受10次假tDCS，B组先接受5次真刺激，后接受5次假刺激，C组接受10次真tDCS。使用《非言语智力测试（第四版）》测量非言语智力总分。采用国际10-20脑电图系统靶向左侧背外侧前额叶皮层（LDLPFC），并避免同时进行认知训练。
与A组相比，C组在非言语智力测试分数上的平均差异为4.10（95%置信区间1.41-6.79；p = 0.005），效应大小为0.47。A组和B组之间（p = 0.296）以及B组和C组之间（p = 0.140）未观察到显著差异。
对LDLPFC进行10次阳极tDCS可提高ASD个体的非言语智力。这些结果强调了tDCS作为提高高功能ASD人群认知能力的一种独特方法的潜力。未来需要更大样本量和更长观察期的研究来验证这些发现。
