Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30266416›Full record

ArticleBrain stimulation

Combined transcranial direct current stimulation with virtual reality exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and pilot results.

Mascha van 't Wout-Frank, M Tracie Shea, Victoria C Larson, Benjamin D Greenberg, Noah S Philip

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Brain stimulation. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
47citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

47 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  7. Does non-invasive brain stimulation modulate emotional stress reactivity?Social cognitive and affective neuroscience · 2020
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  14. Investigational drugs in PTSD.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Mascha van 't Wout-FrankCenter for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02906, USA. Electronic address: Mascha_vant_Wout@brown.edu.
M Tracie SheaCenter for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02906, USA.
Victoria C LarsonCenter for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908, USA.
Benjamin D GreenbergCenter for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02906, USA.
Noah S PhilipCenter for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02906, USA.

Funding

CSRD VA IK2 CX000724RRD VA I50 RX002864
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFacilitating neural activity using non-invasive brain stimulation may improve extinction-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Here, we examined the feasibility of simultaneous transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) application during virtual reality (VR) to reduce psychophysiological arousal and symptoms in Veterans with PTSD.

methodsTwelve Veterans with PTSD received six combat-related VR exposure sessions during sham-controlled tDCS targeting ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Primary outcome measures were changes in skin conductance-based arousal and self-reported PTSD symptom severity.

resultstDCS + VR components were combined without technical difficulty. We observed a significant interaction between reduction in arousal across sessions and tDCS group (p = .03), indicating that the decrease in physiological arousal was greater in the tDCS + VR versus sham group. We additionally observed a clinically meaningful reduction in PTSD symptom severity.

conclusionsThis study demonstrates feasibility of applying tDCS during VR. Preliminary data suggest a reduction in psychophysiological arousal and PTSD symptomatology, supporting future studies.

Indexed as

Virtual RealityAdultFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMalePilot ProjectsPrefrontal CortexStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticTranscranial Direct Current StimulationVeteransBrain stimulationPosttraumatic stress disorderTherapyTranscranial direct current stimulationTreatmentVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID30266416
PMCPMC8103789

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.