Effect of cranial electrotherapy stimulation as an add-on therapy on late-life generalized anxiety disorder: An open-label study

Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is beneficial in reducing anxiety in psychiatric patients. However, no studies have reported on elderly patients with generalized anxiety disorders (GAD). This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of a 6-week CES intervention for late-life GAD. Th...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Journal of the Formosan Medical Association 2024-07, Vol.123 (7), p.781-787
Hauptverfasser: Chu, Che-Sheng, Chang, Cheng-Ho, Pan, Chih-Chuan, Chiang, Yung-Chih, Kuo, Hsin-Ya, Hsu, Tien-Wei, Chen, Shiou-Lan, Chen, Cheng-Sheng
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:Volltext
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) is beneficial in reducing anxiety in psychiatric patients. However, no studies have reported on elderly patients with generalized anxiety disorders (GAD). This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of a 6-week CES intervention for late-life GAD. This single-arm pilot study assessed 6-week CES treatment (Alpha-Stim AID) for late-life GAD and 4-week follow-up post intervention. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were used as baseline and outcome measures at weeks 4, 6, and 10, respectively. Treatment response was defined as 50 % or more reduction of the HAMA score and remission was defined as a of score ≤7 on the HAMA. Other measures included depression, sleep quality, and quality of life assessment. We included participants (n = 27) aged 68.0 ± 5.0 years, 81.5 % of whom were female. Fifteen (55.6 %), 18 (66.7 %), and 15 (55.6 %) patients were concurrently treated with antidepressants, BZDs, and antipsychotics, respectively. Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis revealed a significant decrease in HAMA scores from baseline (20.96 ± 3.30) to week 6 (12.26 ± 7.09) and one-month (12.85 ± 7.08) follow-up at W10 (all p 
ISSN:0929-6646
1876-0821
DOI:10.1016/j.jfma.2023.12.002