The Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation on Reducing the Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety and Repetitive Thinking in People with Insomnia

Abstract

Introduction: Many people with insomnia experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and repetitive thinking. Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) appears to help reduce these symptoms. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of direct transcranial stimulation of the F3 area with anodal current and inhibition of the T4 area with a cathodal current of 1 mA for ten minutes on reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and repetitive thoughts in insomniacs.

Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest and control group, carried out on 20 students with insomnia at Semnan University. Initially, participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Subsequently, participants in the experimental group underwent transcranial direct-current stimulation for 5 sessions, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected through Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ) and analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance.

Results: The results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the variables of anxiety and repetitive thinking (P=0.001), but no significant difference was observed between the two groups in the variable of depression (P=0.088).

Conclusion: Given the effectiveness of tDCS in reducing the symptoms of anxiety and repetitive thinking, it is recommended to use this intervention alongside other pharmacological and psychological therapies to mitigate these symptoms in individuals with insomnia.