Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34815458›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2021

Mindfulness augmentation for anxiety through concurrent use of transcranial direct current stimulation: a randomized double-blind study.

Keiichiro Nishida, Yosuke Morishima, Roberto D Pascual-Marqui, Shota Minami, Tomonari Yamane, Masahito Michikura, Hideki Ishikawa, Toshihiko Kinoshita

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Using Electroencephalography to Advance Mindfulness Science: A Survey of Emerging Methods and Approaches.Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
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

8 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Keiichiro NishidaDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8506, Japan. nishidak@takii.kmu.ac.jp.
Yosuke MorishimaTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bolligenstrasse 111, 3000, Bern, Switzerland.
Roberto D Pascual-MarquiDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8506, Japan.
Shota MinamiDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8506, Japan.
Tomonari YamaneGraduate School of Psychology, Kansai University, 3-3-5 Yamate-cho, Suita, Osaka, 564-8680, Japan.
Masahito MichikuraMedical Research Support, 3-1-14 Koraibashi, Osaka, Osaka, 541-0043, Japan.
Hideki IshikawaDepartment of Molecular-Targeting Cancer Prevention, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 3-2-17-2F Imabashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka, 541-0042, Japan.
Toshihiko KinoshitaDepartment of Neuropsychiatry, Kansai Medical University, 10-15 Fumizono-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8506, Japan.
Kansai Medical University · JPKansai University · JPKyoto Prefectural University of Medicine · JPProtein Research Foundation · JPUniversity Hospital of Zurich · CHUniversity of Bern · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have revealed the capability to augment various types of behavioural interventions. We aimed to augment the effects of mindfulness, suggested for reducing anxiety, with concurrent use of tDCS. We conducted a double-blind randomized study with 58 healthy individuals. We introduced treadmill walking for focused meditation and active or sham tDCS on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 min. We evaluated outcomes using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State Anxiety (STAI) before the intervention as well as immediately, 60 min, and 1 week after the intervention, and current density from electroencephalograms (EEG) before and after the intervention. The linear mixed-effect models demonstrated that STAI-state anxiety showed a significant interaction effect between 1 week after the intervention and tDCS groups. As for alpha-band EEG activity, the current density in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) was significantly reduced in the active compared with the sham stimulation group, and a significant correlation was seen between changes in STAI-trait anxiety and the current density of the rACC in the active stimulation group. Our study provided that despite this being a one-shot and short intervention, the reduction in anxiety lasts for one week, and EEG could potentially help predict its anxiolytic effect.

Indexed as

AdultAnxiety DisordersDouble-Blind MethodElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMindfulnessTranscranial Direct Current StimulationYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID34815458
PMCPMC8610980
OpenAlexW3215190795

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.