Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38438012›Full record

Trial reportBrain stimulation

tDCS reduces depression and state anxiety symptoms in older adults from the augmenting cognitive training in older adults study (ACT).

Hanna K Hausman, Gene E Alexander, Ronald Cohen, Michael Marsiske, Steven T DeKosky, Georg A Hishaw, Andrew O'Shea, Jessica N Kraft, Yunfeng Dai, Samuel Wu and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Brain stimulation. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 13% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. 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

11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Hanna K HausmanCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Gene E AlexanderDepartment of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA; Brain Imaging, Behavior and Aging Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Ronald CohenCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Michael MarsiskeCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Steven T DeKoskyCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Georg A HishawDepartment of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiological Sciences Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs, and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Andrew O'SheaCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Jessica N KraftCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Yunfeng DaiDepartment of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Samuel WuDepartment of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
Adam J WoodsCenter for Cognitive Aging and Memory, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. Electronic address: ajwoods@phhp.ufl.edu.
University of Florida Health · USUniversity of Florida · USUniversity of Arizona · US

Funding

Research Education ComponentP30AG019610 · NIA · SUN HEALTH RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI REIMAN, ERIC MICHAEL · 2001 to 2020
$32.5M
Research Education ComponentP30AG072980 · NIA · BANNER HEALTH · PI ALIREZA ATRI · 2021 to 2026
$24.9M
Augmenting Cognitive Training in Older Adults - The ACT GrantR01AG054077 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI COHEN, RONALD A, MARSISKE, MICHAEL · 2016 to 2020
$6.9M
Research Training in Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Cognition in Aging, MCI, and Alzheimer's DiseaseT32AG020499 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI MARSISKE, MICHAEL, SMITH, GLENN E. · 2003 to 2024
$3.7M
NIA NIH HHS P30 AG019610NIA NIH HHS P30 AG072980NIA NIH HHS R01 AG054077NIA NIH HHS T32 AG020499
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPharmacological interventions for depression and anxiety in older adults often have significant side effects, presenting the need for more tolerable alternatives. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising non-pharmacological intervention for depression in clinical populations. However, its effects on depression and anxiety symptoms, particularly in older adults from the general public, are understudied.

objectiveWe conducted a secondary analysis of the Augmenting Cognitive Training in Older Adults (ACT) trial to assess tDCS efficacy in reducing psychological symptoms in older adults. We hypothesized that active stimulation would yield greater reductions in depression and state anxiety compared to sham post-intervention and at the one-year follow-up. We also explored tDCS effects in subgroups characterized by baseline symptom severity.

methodsA sample of 378 older adults recruited from the community completed a 12-week tDCS intervention with cognitive or education training. Electrodes were placed at F3/F4, and participants received active or sham tDCS during training sessions. We assessed the association between tDCS group and changes in depression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety from baseline to post-intervention and one-year controlling for covariates.

resultsThe active tDCS group demonstrated greater reductions in depression and state anxiety compared to sham post-intervention, particularly in individuals with mild depression and moderate/severe state anxiety at baseline. Furthermore, the active tDCS group with moderate/severe state anxiety maintained greater symptom reductions at one-year.

conclusionstDCS effectively reduced depression and state anxiety symptoms in a large sample of older adults. These findings highlight the importance of considering symptom severity when identifying those who may benefit most from this intervention.

Indexed as

AnxietyDepressionTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAgedAged, 80 and overCognitive TrainingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeAnxietyCognitive trainingDepressionOlder adultstDCS

Identifiers

PMID38438012
PMCPMC11110843
OpenAlexW4392349658

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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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.