Cross Frequency Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (CF-tACS) with mobile EEG for the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

2025 Award: $199,624

While medications and psychotherapy can be very effective for anxiety, many people with anxiety have side effects with medications, don’t have access to therapy, or don’t get full relief from symptoms even with treatment. In this study, we are testing an exciting new technology that utilizes low-level electric currents to gently modify brain activity to treat anxiety. We will investigate the effectiveness of this new treatment in treating anxiety, and we will record daily EEG measurements to see which changes in brain activity lead to the most improvement.

Need/Problem: Anxiety disorders are quite common, and many people with anxiety disorders do not get to a point of remission from symptoms and/or have side effects with current treatments. There is a tremendous need for new types of treatment for anxiety.  Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has shown very promising results for depression but has little data for anxiety.

Grant Summary: Anxiety disorders are quite common, and many people with anxiety disorders do not get to a point of remission from symptoms and/or have side effects with current treatments. There is a tremendous need for new types of treatment for anxiety.  Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has shown very promising results for depression but has little data for anxiety.

Goals & Projected Outcomes: This study will provide initial evidence as to the efficacy and tolerability of tACS for anxiety. Furthermore, we will examine the effects of the treatment on individuals’ brain wave patterns via EEG to get a clearer picture of the mechanism through which it is working. Finally, we are using a novel method to record participants’ daily EEGs, allowing a closer look at day-to-day variability in brain waves, which will serve to guide future study designs.

Zachary Feldman, MD

Grant Details: Our double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial will enroll 30 young adults with generalized anxiety disorder, who will be randomized to either tACS treatment or a sham condition. The treatment will be given over the course of 5 days, with anxiety measures administered at Day 1 and Day 5, then again at 2-week and 4-week follow-up. EEG recordings will be taken daily through the course of the treatment and the 4-week follow-up utilizing an at-home EEG recording device. We will compare improvement in anxiety between the active treatment and sham groups.  Analysis of this EEG data will allow us to examine the relationship between clinical improvement and changes in brain activity seen over time.