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Tests brain stimulation to improve social skills in children with autism

Tests weak electrical brain stimulation aimed at social skills in children with autism.

Key facts

Who runs it
Central South University
Where
Changsha, ChinaSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus to Improve Social Impairments in Children with Autism
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
60 people, planned
Started
30 Aug 2024
Planned end
31 Jul 2026
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • HD-tDCS
  • Sham (No Treatment)
Record updated
19 December 2024

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for children and teenagers with autism spectrum disorder to test brain stimulation (HD-tDCS) for social difficulties.

Age
3 to 18 years old
Sex
Everyone can join
Disease stage
Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to DSM-5 and ADI-R

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Other brain or mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders or mood disorders
  • Neurological disorders, such as head trauma or epilepsy

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 2 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • had to be 3-18 years old; be diagnosed with ASD (according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised (ADI-R)

Who cannot take part

  • with other comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions (i.e., schizophrenia spectrum disorders and mood disorders) or neurological disorders (i.e., head trauma and epilepsy)

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 3 and 18 years old?

Where in China

  • The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangsha, ChinaContact: Shuxian WuTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if high definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) of right inferior frontal gyrus works to improve social impairments in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It will also learn about the underlying brain mechanism. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Read full original descriptionShow less

* Does HD-tDCS of right inferior frontal gyrus improve social impairments in children with ASD? * What are the underlying brain mechanisms by which the HD-tDCS of right inferior frontal gyrus improves social impairments in children with ASD? Researchers will compare participants received active HD-tDCS to controls received sham HD-tDCS (performed to mimic the sensation induced by real HD-tDCS before and after the stimulation) to see if HD-tDCS of right inferior frontal gyrus improves social impairments in children with ASD.

Participants will:

* Receive a dose of 2 mA HD-tDCS of right inferior frontal gyrus lasting for 10 days. * Receive social functioning assessment, functional near-infrared spectroscopy and electroencephalography measurement before and after stimulation * Visit the clinic once every 2 weeks for checkups and tests, a total of 2 times.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Active groupExisting treatment, for comparison

    Received a dose of 2 mA HD-tDCS stimulation lasted for 20 min, with 30 s of ramp-up and ramp-down before and after the 20-min stimulation, respectively.

    Treatment: HD-tDCS

  • Sham groupSham treatment, for comparison

    Received 1 min of ramping up/down without experiencing 2 mA HD-tDCS stimulation lasted for 20 min.

    Treatment: Sham (No Treatment)

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
The Efficacy and Brain Mechanism of High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus to Improve Social Impairments in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Study
Plain-language title
Tests brain stimulation to improve social skills in children with autismGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Fit questions
Built from NCT06723522, who can take part
Record updated
19 December 2024