ArticleFrontiers in behavioral neuroscience2025
tDCS-induced enhancement of cognitive flexibility in autism: role of frontal lobe and associated neural circuits.
Article in Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Combined tDCS and Neuropsychological Treatment for Adult ADHD: A Single-Case Feasibility Study on Cognitive and Emotional Outcomes.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- Neuroplasticity mechanisms of NDBIs in autism: a review from brain connectivity to behavioral improvement.European journal of medical research · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs). These symptoms may stem from cognitive flexibility deficits, with dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and related neural circuits proposed as underlying mechanisms. Objectives: This study examined whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could enhance PFC activity and functional connectivity, thereby improving cognitive flexibility in a valproic acid (VPA)-induced ASD rat model. Methods: Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were administered VPA (600 mg/kg, E12.5) or saline. VPA-exposed offspring exhibiting curved tails received tDCS and underwent behavioral tests, including the three-chamber social interaction test and cross-maze rule-shifting task, while local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate microglial activation (Iba1 +) and synaptic density (PSD95). Results: Valproic acid -exposed offspring displayed significant social interaction deficits and impaired cognitive flexibility, alongside disrupted functional connectivity in frontal-striato-hippocampal circuits. Neuroinflammatory analysis revealed elevated Iba1+ microglial density ( Conclusion: Our results indicate that tDCS ameliorates ASD-like phenotypes in VPA rats, potentially through microglial suppression and PFC network synchronization. These findings support neuromodulation as a promising therapeutic approach for ASD-related cognitive dysfunction.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.