Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to the Right Temporoparietal Junction for Social Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Wilson, Joan Esse; Quinn, Davin K.; Wilson, J. Kevin; Garcia, Christopher M.; Tesche, C. D.

doi:10.1097/yct.0000000000000445

Cited by 21 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…These symptoms primarily fell into the domains of social functioning and interpersonal skills and suggest that rTMS may have broader applications in other disorders that occupy similar symptom domains, such as BDD 71 . A recent case report found that transcranial direct current stimulation at the right temporoparietal junction in an 18-year-old patient with ASD also improved social functioning; these gains were maintained at 2 months and were also associated with a decrease in emotional lability 72 . Bilateral deep brain stimulation at the nucleus accumbens in a 14-year-old boy with ASD led to significant improvements in self-injurious behaviors and may have promise in related contexts 73 .…”

Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 98%

New perspectives in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder

2018

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Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a disabling illness with a high worldwide prevalence. Patients demonstrate a debilitating preoccupation with one or more perceived defects, often marked by poor insight or delusional convictions. Multiple studies have suggested that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and various cognitive behavioral therapy modalities are effective first-line treatments in decreasing BDD severity, relieving depressive symptoms, restoring insight, and increasing quality of life. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have also recently been shown to be effective for relapse prevention. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of BDD, including its clinical features, epidemiology, genetics, and current treatment modalities. Additional research is needed to fully elucidate the relationship between BDD and comorbid illnesses such as obsessive–compulsive-related disorders and depression and to develop therapies for refractory patients and those who have contraindications for pharmacological intervention.

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Section: Discussion and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 98%

New perspectives in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder

2018

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“…Eight studies exclusively utilized tDCS as the therapeutic tool [ 33 - 40 ], 23 studies utilized solely rTMS as the therapeutic tool [ 41 - 63 ], and one study used both rTMS and tDCS to evaluate their therapeutic effects on ASD [ 64 ]. Six of the included articles were case-reports [ 35 , 40 , 43 , 47 , 49 , 53 ], nine were non-controlled trials [ 36 , 37 , 41 , 46 , 55 , 57 , 61 , 62 , 64 ], and the remaining 17 were controlled trials [ 33 , 34 , 38 , 39 , 42 , 44 , 45 , 48 , 50 - 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 - 60 , 63 ]. Eleven of the controlled studies used a sham group as the control [ 33 , 34 , 38 , 39 , 42 , 48 , 50 - 52 , 54 , 63 ] and the remaining six compared neuromodulated patients with waitlist controls.…”

Section: Synthesized Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Figure 1 shows a schematic overview of the study selection process. Eight studies exclusively utilized tDCS as the therapeutic tool [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40], 23 studies utilized solely rTMS as the therapeutic tool , and one study used both rTMS and tDCS to evaluate their therapeutic effects on ASD [64]. Six of the included articles were case-reports [35,40,43,47,49,53], nine were non-controlled trials [36,37,41,46,55,57,61,62,64], and the remaining 17 were controlled trials [33,34,38,39,42,44,45,48,[50][51][52]54,56,[58][59][60]63].…”

Section: Synthesized Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the tDCS technique, six stud-ies applied unilateral anodal or cathodal stimulations of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; right and left), right temporoparietal junction and supplementary motor area (SMA); whereas two studies applied bilateral stimulation of DLPFC. In these studies, the currents of 0.4, 1, 1.5 and 2 mA were delivered to the brain via 25 and 35 cm2 electrodes for different durations (20,30,40 and 85 minutes). In the rTMS technique, two studies adopted the TBS protocols, one study adopted the pico-Tesla TMS (pT-TMS) protocol, and the remaining 21 studies adopted more conventional rTMS approaches.…”

Section: Synthesized Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Non-invasive Neurostimulation on Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Khaleghi

Zarafshan

Vand

et al. 2020

Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by major impairments in social communication, stereotyped and ritualistic behaviors and deficits in sensory reactivity. Recently, noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) methods, namely transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), have been examined as possible new therapeutic options for modifying the pathological neuroplasticity involved in neuropsychiatric disorders including ASD. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review on the therapeutic uses of tDCS and repetitive TMS (rTMS) in ASD patients. A systematic search was performed on Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane and Embase. Original articles reporting the use of tDCS or rTMS to treat ASD were screened and studied by two researchers independently based on PRISMA guidelines. We found 32 eligible studies including 8 tDCS reports, 23 rTMS reports and one report with both tDCS and rTMS. These studies comprised 6 case-reports, 9 non-controlled trials and 17 controlled trials which assessed NIBS effects on the three cognitive, behavioral and biological dimensions in ASD. Existing evidence demonstrates that NIBS methods could be helpful for treating some dimensions of ASD such as repetitive behavior, sociability or some aspects of executive and cognitive functions. However, such evidence should be regarded with care because of the quality of original researches and serious publication bias as well as the heterogeneity of data. Further randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trials with appropriate follow-up periods should be designed to assess the efficacy of NIBS methods for ASD treatment.

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“…To target these multiple processes, the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) may be optimal for stimulation, because of the rTPJ's role as part of a large-scale neural network for social cognition (Kennedy & Adolphs, 2012). The rTPJ contributes lower-level processing of environmental sensoryperceptual stimuli, such as discriminating between self and others, as well as higher-level socialcognitive processing, such as perspective-taking, empathy, theory of mind (ToM; Decety & Lamm, 2007) emotion verbal fluency (Esse Wilson, Trumbo, et al, 2018), and social functioning (Esse Wilson, Quinn, et al, 2018). The rTPJ is also specifically associated with deficits in empathy and ToM in individuals with ASD (Lombardo et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Improves Empathy and Recognition of Facial Emotions Conveying Threat in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Wilson

Trumbo

Tesche

2021

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Introduction: Empathy is critical for human interactions to become shared and meaningful, and it is facilitated by the expression and processing of facial emotions. Deficits in empathy and facial emotion recognition are associated with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with specific concerns over inaccurate recognition of facial emotion expressions conveying a threat. Yet, the number of evidenced interventions for facial emotion recognition and processing (FERP), emotion, and empathy remains limited, particularly for adults with ASD. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a noninvasive brain stimulation, may be a promising treatment modality to safely accelerate or enhance treatment interventions to increase their efficacy. Methods: This study investigates the effectiveness of FERP, emotion, and empathy treatment interventions paired with tDCS for adults with ASD. Verum or sham tDCS was randomly assigned in a within-subjects, double-blinded design with seven adults with ASD without intellectual disability. Outcomes were measured using scores from the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and a FERP test for both verum and sham tDCS. Results: Verum tDCS significantly improved EQ scores and FERP scores for emotions that conveyed threat. Conclusions: These results suggest the potential for increasing the efficacy of treatment interventions by pairing them with tDCS for individuals with ASD.

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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to the Right Temporoparietal Junction for Social Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract: Anodal tDCS to the rTPJ may represent an effective treatment for improving social functioning in ASD, with a larger clinical trial needed to validate this effect.

Cited by 21 publications

References 42 publications

New perspectives in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder

New perspectives in the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder

Effects of Non-invasive Neurostimulation on Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Improves Empathy and Recognition of Facial Emotions Conveying Threat in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

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