Influencing cognitiVe impairment in psychiatric diagnoses with transcranial alternating current stimulation
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is one of the non-invasive brain stimulation methods in which cognition in healthy adults is influenced through manipulation of endogenous oscillations. since both endogenous oscillations and cognition are impaired in various psychiatric diagnoses, tACS could represent a suitable intervention method. this review presents 27 studies using tacs in psychiatric diagnoses and assessing changes in cognition. tacs is a safe and well-tolerated method. results vary across diagnoses and applied protocols, with some protocols showing long-term effects. however, the overall number of studies is small, with a large variety of diagnoses and tACS parameters such as electrode montage or the frequency used. More thorough confirmation of the efficacy of potential protocols is needed to introduce this method into clinical practice. in the future, it may be applied at home, individualized according to the anatomical and functional characteristics of the patient, or used as a marker of disease progression.