%0 Journal Article
%T Tripod transcranial alternating current stimulation at 5-Hz to alleviate anxiety symptoms: A preliminary report.
%A Lee TW
%A Li CR
%A Tramontano G
%J J Affect Disord
%V 360
%N 0
%D 2024 Sep 1
%M 38821364
%F 6.533
%R 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.166
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>One of the most common applications of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) at low current intensity is to induce a relaxed state or reduce anxiety. With technical advancement, different waveforms, montages, and parameters can be incorporated into the treatment regimen. We developed a novel protocol to treat individuals with anxiety disorders by transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).<BR><B>METHODS: </B>A total of 27 individuals with anxiety disorders underwent tACS treatment for 12 sessions, with each session lasting 25 min. tACS at 5 Hz was applied to F4 (1.0 mA), P4 (1.0 mA), and T8 (2.0 mA) EEG lead positions (tripod), with sinewave oscillation between T8 and F4/P4. We evaluated the primary and secondary outcomes using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and neuropsychological assessments.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Of the 27 patients, 19 (70.4 %) experienced a reduction in symptom severity >50 %, with an average reduction of BAI 58.5 %. All reported side effects were mild, with itching or tingling being the most common complaint. No significant differences were noted in attention, linguistic working memory, visuospatial working memory, or long-term memory in neuropsychological assessments.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>The results suggest the potential of this novel tripod tACS design as a rapid anxiety alleviator and the importance of a clinical trial to verify its efficacy.