Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) as a Treatment for Insomnia
Gholam K. Motamedi, Peter G. Jeliazkov, Temitayo Oyegbile‐Chidi, Sunbin Song, Varun D. Sharma, Mihriye Mete, Shara Nawar, Peter E. Turkeltaub, Yong Won Cho, Jian‐Young Wu
Abstract
We investigated the effects of transcranial alternating stimulation (tACS) in patients with insomnia. Nine patients with chronic insomnia underwent two in-laboratory polysomnography, 2 weeks apart, and were randomized to receive tACS either during the first or second study. The stimulation was applied simultaneously and bilaterally at F3/M1 and F4/M2 electrodes (0.75 mA, 0.75 Hz, 5-minute). Sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset dropped on the stimulation night but they did not reach statistical significance; however, there were significant improvements in spontaneous and total arousals, sleep quality, quality of life, recall memory, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime sleepiness.