Predicting tDCS Response in Adolescents With Autism: Hong Kong Trial Combines Brain Stimulation With Machine Learning to Personalise Treatment
247 Health News Editorial
·10 July 2026
·4 min read
·clinical-trialsA clinical trial at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with machine learning analysis of EEG data to predict treatment response in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The study aims to identify neurophysiological biomarkers that could enable personalised brain stimulation therapy for a condition with no current cure. Clinicians working in neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and paediatric settings should monitor this trial's outputs closely.
Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov
References
- 1.The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. (2021). A machine learning approach for predicting tDCS treatment outcomes of adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (NCT05035511). ClinicalTrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05035511
- 2.Amatachaya, A., Auvichayapat, N., Patjanasoontorn, N., Suphakunpinyo, C., Ngernyam, N., Aree-uea, B., Keeratitanont, K., & Auvichayapat, P. (2015). Effect of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on autism: A randomized double-blind crossover trial. Behavioural Neurology, 2015, 173073. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/173073
- 3.Bent, C. A., Dissanayake, C., & Barbaro, J. (2015). Mapping the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in children aged under 7 years in Australia, 2010–2012. Medical Journal of Australia, 202(6), 317–320. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja14.01463
- 4.Constantino, J. N., & Gruber, C. P. (2012). Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2). Western Psychological Services.
- 5.Maximo, J. O., Cadena, E. J., & Kana, R. K. (2014). The implications of brain connectivity in the neuropsychology of autism. Neuropsychology Review, 24(1), 16–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11065-014-9250-0
- 6.Maslen, H., Cheeran, B., Rushby, J., Oakley, D., & Savulescu, J. (2018). Requests for non-therapeutic brain stimulation: Ethical considerations for clinicians. Neuroethics, 11(2), 231–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-017-9338-x
- 7.Costanzo, F., Varuzza, C., Rossi, S., Sdoia, S., Varvara, P., Oliveri, M., Koch, G., Vicari, S., & Menghini, D. (2016). Evidence for reading improvement following tDCS treatment in children and adolescents with dyslexia. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 34(2), 215–226. https://doi.org/10.3233/RNN-150561
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247 Health News Editorial
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