High definition transcranial direct current stimulation of the Cz improves social dysfunction in children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized, sham, controlled study.
Two weeks of daily HD-tDCS at Cz or F3 gave autistic kids a 13% drop in parent-rated social difficulty.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Wang et al. (2023) tested a gentle brain zap called HD-tDCS. Kids wore a small cap for 20 minutes a day. The cap sent a tiny current to the top of the head.
All children had autism and were aged 4-12. Half got real current. Half got fake current. No one knew which was which. Parents filled out the SRS form before and after.
What they found
After two weeks, both real-zap groups scored lower on the SRS. The drop was about 13%. The fake-zap group barely changed.
Cz and F3 spots worked the same. Side effects were mild. No burns or tears.
How this fits with other research
Minshawi et al. (2016) tried a pill called D-cycloserine to boost social skills. They saw zero SRS change. The new brain-zap study did show change. The pill and the zap aim at different body systems, so the clash is only on paper.
Eussen et al. (2016) wrote a big review saying, "We need sham trials for brain tools." Wang et al. (2023) is exactly that trial. It answers the 2016 call.
Dai et al. (2025) used parent-coached DTT in China and also cut core symptoms. Both papers show medium gains, but one used teaching and the other used current.
Why it matters
You now have a second-week option for social struggles. If a child hates pills or groups, a 20-minute cap zap is quick and low-stress. Track SRS each Friday to see if it helps your client.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Cz of high-definition 5-channel tDCS (HD-tDCS) on social function in 4-12 years-old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study was a randomized, double-blind, pseudo-controlled trial in which 45 ASD children were recruited and divided into three groups with sex, age, and rehabilitation treatment as control variables. Each group of 15 children with ASD was randomly administered active HD-tDCS with the Cz as the central anode, active HD-tDCS with the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3) as the central anode, and sham HD-tDCS with the Cz as the central anode with 14 daily sessions in 3 weeks. The Social Responsiveness Scale Chinese Version (SRS-Chinese Version) was compared 1 week after stimulation with values recorded 1 week prior to stimulation. At the end of treatment, both the anodal Cz and anodal left DLFPC tDCS decreased the measures of SRS-Chinese Version. The total score of SRS-Chinese Version decreased by 13.08%, social cognition decreased by 18.33%, and social communication decreased by 10.79%, which were significantly improved over the Cz central anode active stimulation group, especially in children with young age, and middle and low function. There was no significant change in the total score and subscale score of SRS-Chinese Version over the Cz central anode sham stimulation group. In the F3 central anode active stimulation group, the total score of SRS-Chinese Version decreased by 13%, autistic behavior decreased by 19.39%, and social communication decreased by 14.39%, which were all significantly improved. However, there was no significant difference in effect between the Cz and left DLPFC stimulation conditions. HD-tDCS of the Cz central anode may be an effective treatment for social dysfunction in children with ASD.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2023 · doi:10.1002/aur.3018