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. 2024 May 15:15:1407267.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1407267. eCollection 2024.

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on brain activity and cortical functional connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders

Jiannan Kang  1 , Yuqi Li  1 , Shuaikang Lv  1 , Pengfei Hao  1 , Xiaoli Li  2
Affiliations

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on brain activity and cortical functional connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders

Jiannan Kang et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Introduction: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has emerged as a therapeutic option to mitigate symptoms in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Our study investigated the effects of a two-week regimen of tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in children with ASD, examining changes in rhythmic brain activity and alterations in functional connectivity within key neural networks: the default mode network (DMN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and dorsal attention network (DAN).

Methods: We enrolled twenty-six children with ASD and assigned them randomly to either an active stimulation group (n=13) or a sham stimulation group (n=13). The active group received tDCS at an intensity of 1mA to the left DLPFC for a combined duration of 10 days. Differences in electrical brain activity were pinpointed using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA), while functional connectivity was assessed via lagged phase synchronization.

Results: Compared to the typically developing children, children with ASD exhibited lower current source density across all frequency bands. Post-treatment, the active stimulation group demonstrated a significant increase in both current source density and resting state network connectivity. Such changes were not observed in the sham stimulation group.

Conclusion: tDCS targeting the DLPFC may bolster brain functional connectivity in patients with ASD, offering a substantive groundwork for potential clinical applications.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; electroencephalogram; lagged phase synchronization; sLORETA; transcranial direct current stimulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Source localization differences between ASD and TD groups in delta band: the blue areas denote significant reductions in current source density within the ASD group (p< 0.05). Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Source localization differences between ASD and TD groups in theta band: the blue areas denote significant reductions in current source density within the ASD group (p< 0.05). Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Source localization differences between ASD and TD groups in alpha band: the blue areas denote significant reductions in current source density within the ASD group (p< 0.05). Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Source localization differences between ASD and TD groups in beta band: the blue areas denote significant reductions in current source density within the ASD group (p< 0.05). Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Source localization differences between pre-stimulation and post-stimulation groups in delta band. Red areas indicate the range in the post-stimulation group where the current source density increased significantly (p< 0.05). Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Source localization differences between pre-stimulation and post-stimulation groups in theta band. Red areas indicate the range in the post-stimulation group where the current source density increased significantly (p< 0.05). Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Source localization differences between pre-stimulation and post-stimulation groups in alpha band. Red areas indicate the range in the post-stimulation group where the current source density increased significantly (p< 0.05). Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Source localization differences between pre-stimulation and post-stimulation groups in beta band. Red areas indicate the range in the post-stimulation group where the current source density increased significantly (p< 0.05). Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Connectivity variation diagram highlighting significant differences between ASD and TD groups. Blue lines represent a significant reduction in lagged phase synchronization within DAN for the pre-stimulation group as compared to the post-stimulation group. Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Connectivity variation diagram highlighting significant differences between pre-stimulation and post-stimulation groups. Blue lines represent a significant reduction in lagged phase synchronization within DMN for the pre-stimulation group as compared to the post-stimulation group. Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Connectivity variation diagram highlighting significant differences between pre-stimulation and post-stimulation groups. Blue lines represent a significant reduction in lagged phase synchronization within SMN for the pre-stimulation group as compared to the post-stimulation group. Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Connectivity variation diagram highlighting significant differences between pre-stimulation and post-stimulation groups. Blue lines represent a significant reduction in lagged phase synchronization within DAN for the pre-stimulation group as compared to the post-stimulation group. Orientational abbreviations indicate the following: L for left hemisphere, R for right hemisphere, A for anterior (frontal) regions, P for posterior (rear) regions, and S for superior (upper) regions of the brain.
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