Combined Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation With Sensory-Based Treatments in Autism: Preliminary Report.

This study investigated the effects of sensory-based treatments (SBT) combined with active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left prefrontal cortex (SBT+AtDCS), and SBT combined with sham tDCS (SBT+StDCS) in autism spectrum condition (ASC). Eleven ASC children were randomly assigned to receive either SBT+AtDCS or SBT+StDCS for 10 sessions over 2 weeks. All children exhibited significant improvement in their ability to regulate and respond to sensory stimuli after treatment. The SBT+AtDCS group showed significant reductions in autism severity and behavioral difficulties compared to the SBT+StDCS group. This preliminary report is the first to suggest that SBT combined with active tDCS may alleviate symptoms associated with ASC. Future research with a larger sample, neural measures, and a longitudinal design is required for validation.