The Effectiveness of Transcranial Electrical Stimulation on the Pattern of Brain Waves and Blood Pressure in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Transcranial direct current stimulation is considered one of the treatment methods for mental disorders.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation on the delta, theta, alpha, beta, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. The present study was a double-blind intervention with a pre-test and post-test design on people with generalized anxiety disorder in Tabriz, Iran. 30 patients with generalized anxiety disorder were selected by purposive sampling method based on the criteria specified in DSM-5 and randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n=15). The experimental group received 10 sessions of 30 minutes of transcranial direct current stimulation with an intensity of 2mA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the control group also received artificial stimulation.

The results showed that transcranial direct current stimulation reduced delta and theta waves and increased beta and brain alpha waves in the experimental group. On the other hand, this method also showed a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in these patients.

The results show that transcranial direct current stimulation has a significant effect on brain waves and blood pressure. Furthermore, this non-invasive method can be used as a therapeutic approach in people with generalized anxiety disorder.