The Impact of Beta-band Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) on Impulse Inhibition in Adolescents With Non-suicidal Self-injury

Anhui Medical University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Non-suicidal Self-injury; Depression Disorders

Treatments: Device: Beta-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation; Device: sham beta-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07152925

AHMU-beta-band-tACS-NSSI

Details and patient eligibility

About

This clinical trial aims to determine whether beta-band transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can improve impulse inhibition in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and to evaluate its safety. The primary questions it seeks to answer are:

• Can beta-band tACS significantly reduce the frequency of self-injury and scores on impulsivity scales in adolescents with NSSI?
• What discomfort or medical issues may participants experience during tACS intervention?

Researchers will compare beta-band tACS with sham stimulation (a procedure that mimics the real stimulation without delivering effective current) to verify its efficacy.

Participants will:

• Receive two sessions of either tACS or sham stimulation daily, spaced 4 hours apart, for 7 consecutive days (14 sessions in total).
• Undergo scale assessments, behavioral tasks, and eye-tracking tests before and after the intervention.
• Record any self-injury episodes and adverse reactions, with continuous monitoring and psychological support provided by a professional team.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 22 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 1) Meet the proposed diagnostic criteria for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), with ≥5 documented self-injury episodes and at least one incident within the past month as assessed by the Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment Questionnaire (ANSAQ); 2) Aged 12-18 years; 3) Right-handed; 4) Possess formal education experience sufficient to comprehend experimental protocols; 5) Normal or corrected-to-normal binocular visual acuity; 6) Voluntarily participate with legal guardians providing written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• 1) Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score < 26; 2) History of suicide attempt(s); 3) Medical history of epilepsy, brain surgery, intracranial tumors, metal implants in the skull, or clinically significant head trauma; 4) History of substance use disorder, brain injury, severe somatic diseases, psychiatric disorders, or comorbid DSM-5 psychiatric conditions; 5) Prior receipt of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) within the past 3 months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Experimental group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Active stimulation: deliver 20 minutes of beta-band tACS intervention.

Treatment:

Device: Beta-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation

Control group

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Sham stimulation will be administered with identical treatment parameters, duration, and number of sessions as the active intervention. For the control group, the current will be ramped up to 2 mA and then ramped down to 0 mA within the first 30 seconds.

Treatment:

Device: sham beta-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation