THE EFFECTS OF tDCS IN PATIENTS WITH GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDERS
Anxiety; Depression; Transcranial Current Stimulation; Rehabilitation.
Anxiety is a disorder that has been affecting a substantial number of individuals, with a prevalence of 9.3% of people affected in Brazil. This is the country with the highest prevalence of this pathology among the countries of the Americas. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by tremors, muscular hypotonia, hyperventilation, sweating, palpitations, apprehension, restlessness, distractibility, loss of concentration and insomnia, causing it to act impairment of the functional, social, affective and cognitive life of the individual. Thus, it is necessary an effective treatment that can minimize these effects that GAD brings to affected individuals. One of the techniques that has been used with positive results for treatments of some psychiatric disorders is Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), which is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique that use a microcurrent with 2 mA that can stimulate or inhibit neuronal activity. This stimulation causes specific changes in the behavior and motor activity of individuals by modulating specific areas of the brain. Despite many studies of tDCS in mood disorders, such as depression and panic, tDCS studies with GAD are still incipient. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the effects that tDCS can have on people affected by GAD, which is a recurrent disorder in society. Thus, the main objective of the present study is to analyze the effects of tDCS in patients with GAD and evaluate the possible improvements in the symptoms. The study will be based on a triple-blind randomized clinical trial. The research will have a sample of 30 participants, both genders, aged between 20 and 40 years, who have the clinical diagnosis of GAD according to the criteria of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-V) and will be performed in the city of Mossoró-RN, in a reserved and restricted place. Participants will be divided into two groups, sham (placebo) and experiment, with randomization and triple-blind allocation. It is expected that the symptoms of GAD will improve and thus improve the quality of life of the participants.