Trial reportCNS neuroscience & therapeutics2026
Limited Efficacy of 3 mA Intensified tDCS of the Right Inferior Frontal Cortex for OCD Treatment: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Study.
Trial report in CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been proposed for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with advantages such as affordability and home-use application. Despite a moderate therapeutic effect, previous findings have been mixed. This registered, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial investigated the efficacy of an intensified tDCS protocol targeting the inferior frontal cortex (IFC), a relevant brain region for inhibitory control for OCD treatment.
methodsForty patients with OCD received 20 sessions of 3 mA intensified tDCS or sham tDCS in parallel groups. The active treatment included 20 sessions of 20-min 3 mA stimulation delivered twice per day (in 2 weeks) with 20-min between-session intervals. Intervention efficacy, treatment response, and cognitive functions (response inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and sustained attention) were evaluated before and after the intervention and at 2-week, 1-month, and 3-month follow-ups.
resultsBlinding of patients was successful. Both groups experienced decreased OCD symptoms, anxiety, and depression. While the active tDCS group showed a significant reduction in all clinical measures from pre- to post-intervention, no statistically significant between-group differences were found. The active tDCS group showed a mean reduction of 22.38% in OCD symptoms from baseline to endpoint, with 20% (4/20) responding with ≥ 50% symptom reduction, compared to 15.25% and 0% (0/20) in the sham group. Cognitive assessments similarly revealed within-group improvements over time, but no differences between groups.
conclusions3 mA tDCS over the right IFC showed limited efficacy for OCD treatment, likely confounded by placebo effects, suggesting that other targeted regions may be more promising for tDCS intervention.
trial registrationIRCT20230216057437N1.
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