Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34945779›Full record

ArticleJournal of personalized medicine2021

Transdermal Electrical Neuromodulation for Anxiety and Sleep Problems in High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: Feasibility and Preliminary Findings.

Stephen T Foldes, Amanda R Jensen, Austin Jacobson, Sarah Vassall, Emily Foldes, Ann Guthery, Danni Brown, Todd Levine, William James Tyler, Richard E Frye

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of personalized medicine, 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
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 25% 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, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  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

10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Stephen T FoldesDivision of Research, Barrow Neurologic Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA.
Amanda R JensenSection on Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Division of Neurology, Barrow Neurologic Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA.
Austin JacobsonDivision of Research, Barrow Neurologic Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA.
Sarah VassallDivision of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA.
Emily FoldesSpeech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
Ann GutheryDivision of Psychiatry, Barrow Neurologic Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA.
Danni BrownDivision of Research, Barrow Neurologic Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA.
Todd LevineDivision of Psychiatry, Barrow Neurologic Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA.
William James TylerSchool of Biological and Health Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
Richard E FryeDepartment of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4442-2937
Phoenix Children's Hospital · USBarrow Neurological Institute · USArizona State University · USVanderbilt University · US

Funding

National Science Foundation , I/UCRC for Building Reliable Innovation and Advances in Neurotechnology
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with anxiety and sleep problems. We investigated transdermal electrical neuromodulation (TEN) of the cervical nerves in the neck as a safe, effective, comfortable and non-pharmacological therapy for decreasing anxiety and enhancing sleep quality in ASD.

methodsIn this blinded, sham-controlled study, seven adolescents and young adults with high-functioning ASD underwent five consecutive treatment days, one day of the sham followed by four days of subthreshold TEN for 20 min. Anxiety-provoking cognitive tasks were performed after the sham/TEN. Measures of autonomic nervous system activity, including saliva α-amylase and cortisol, electrodermal activity, and heart rate variability, were collected from six participants.

resultsSelf-rated and caretaker-rated measures of anxiety were significantly improved with TEN treatment as compared to the sham, with effect sizes ranging from medium to large depending on the rating scale. Sleep scores from caretaker questionnaires also improved, but not significantly. Performance on two of the three anxiety-provoking cognitive tasks and heart rate variability significantly improved with TEN stimulation as compared to the sham. Four of the seven (57%) participants were responders, defined as a ≥ 30% improvement in self-reported anxiety. Salivary α-amylase decreased with more TEN sessions and decreased from the beginning to the end of the session on TEN days for responders. TEN was well-tolerated without significant adverse events.

conclusionsThis study provides preliminary evidence that TEN is well-tolerated in individuals with ASD and can improve anxiety.

Indexed as

anxietyautism spectrum disordercortisolheart rate variabilityneuromodulationneurostimulationsleep anxietytransdermal electrical neuromodulationα-amylase

Identifiers

PMID34945779
PMCPMC8704341
OpenAlexW4200288406

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.