Lee Minji, Hong Jung Kyung, Lee Yeaeun, Yoon In-Young
Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, 04401, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, 13620, Republic of Korea.
J Psychiatr Res. 2025 Jun;186:129-136. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.04.020. Epub 2025 Apr 11.
This study evaluated whether transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, could alleviate insomnia symptoms.
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.
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.
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.
本研究评估了非侵入性脑刺激技术经颅交流电刺激（tACS）是否能缓解失眠症状。
招募有失眠症状但不符合失眠障碍标准的参与者，并随机分为0.5赫兹、100赫兹或假刺激组。为了最大化颅内刺激的传递，使用了10千赫的载波频率。参与者被要求每天使用该设备两次，每次30分钟，持续六周。
87名参与者（74名女性，平均年龄=54.15±0.73岁）被随机分组并完成试验。失眠严重程度指数评分在所有三组中均有显著改善，但组间无显著差异（假刺激组：从13.83降至8.45，p<0.05；0.5赫兹组：从12.03降至8.79，p<0.05；100赫兹组：从12.38降至7.83，p<0.05）。在四天的平均睡眠日记中，所有三组（假刺激组、0.5赫兹组、100赫兹组）的睡眠潜伏期（SL）和睡眠中觉醒时间（WASO）均有所下降，但各访视组间无显著交互作用（SL分别为-5.74分钟、-8.94分钟、-16.53分钟，p=0.345；WASO分别为-10.74分钟、-23.62分钟、-16.73分钟，p=0.431）。基于活动记录仪的睡眠指标未观察到显著改善。
在改善失眠症状方面，tACS并未显示出比假治疗更有效的效果。未来的研究应考虑睡眠的强大安慰剂效应以及高载波频率掩盖目标频率的可能性。
