Volume 13, Issue 2 (June 2026)
Avicenna J Neuro Psycho Physiology 2026, 13(2): 0-0 |
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Ethics code: IR.RNU.REC.1403.677
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Amirpour B, Chaharduli S. Rewiring Rage Circuits in Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder: tDCS as a Cognitive-Emotional Rehabilitation Tool for Enhancing Cold Executive Functions and Reducing Irritability. Avicenna J Neuro Psycho Physiology 2026; 13 (2)
URL: http://ajnpp.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-573-en.html
URL: http://ajnpp.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-573-en.html
1- Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran. , borzooamirpour@gmail.com
2- Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
2- Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (28 Views)
Background and Objective: Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a prevalent childhood behavioral disorder characterized by persistent irritability, defiance, and angry outbursts, which impair academic, family, and social functioning. Children with ODD exhibit significant deficits in core executive functions—including inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility—alongside severe emotional dysregulation. Conventional treatments often show limited efficacy. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, has shown promise in enhancing cognition and modulating emotion, but its efficacy in ODD remains underexplored. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of tDCS on cold executive functions and angry/irritable mood in children with ODD.
Materials and Methods: A quasi‑experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was employed. A total of 24 male children aged 8–12 years with ODD were randomly assigned to experimental (n=12) and control (n=12) groups. The experimental group received 20 sessions of active tDCS (1.5–2 mA, 30 min, every other day) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, F3). The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)—Parent Form (Gioia et al., 2000) to assess cold executive functions (inhibition, shifting, emotional control, working memory, planning, organization, monitoring, and initiation), and the DSM‑5‑based Oppositional Defiant Disorder Questionnaire (Motamedin et al., 2021) to measure angry/irritable mood. All instruments demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability (Cronbach's α: BRIEF=0.89; ODD=0.77). We used multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) to analyze the data, controlling for pretest scores, with a significance level of P<0.05.
Results: The MANCOVA revealed a significant overall difference between groups (Wilks' Lambda=0.055, F(8, 23)=32.005, P<0.001, η²=0.945). In the experimental group, tDCS significantly improved cold executive functions (F=34.78, P<0.001, η²=0.613) and significantly reduced angry/irritable mood (F=18.53, P<0.001, η²=0.457) compared with the control group.
Conclusions: The tDCS significantly enhanced cold executive functions and reduced angry/irritable mood in children with ODD. These findings support tDCS as a safe, non-invasive, and effective adjunctive treatment for cognitive‑emotional deficits in pediatric ODD. Further large‑scale, long‑term studies are recommended to confirm these results.
Materials and Methods: A quasi‑experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was employed. A total of 24 male children aged 8–12 years with ODD were randomly assigned to experimental (n=12) and control (n=12) groups. The experimental group received 20 sessions of active tDCS (1.5–2 mA, 30 min, every other day) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, F3). The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)—Parent Form (Gioia et al., 2000) to assess cold executive functions (inhibition, shifting, emotional control, working memory, planning, organization, monitoring, and initiation), and the DSM‑5‑based Oppositional Defiant Disorder Questionnaire (Motamedin et al., 2021) to measure angry/irritable mood. All instruments demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability (Cronbach's α: BRIEF=0.89; ODD=0.77). We used multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) to analyze the data, controlling for pretest scores, with a significance level of P<0.05.
Results: The MANCOVA revealed a significant overall difference between groups (Wilks' Lambda=0.055, F(8, 23)=32.005, P<0.001, η²=0.945). In the experimental group, tDCS significantly improved cold executive functions (F=34.78, P<0.001, η²=0.613) and significantly reduced angry/irritable mood (F=18.53, P<0.001, η²=0.457) compared with the control group.
Conclusions: The tDCS significantly enhanced cold executive functions and reduced angry/irritable mood in children with ODD. These findings support tDCS as a safe, non-invasive, and effective adjunctive treatment for cognitive‑emotional deficits in pediatric ODD. Further large‑scale, long‑term studies are recommended to confirm these results.
Keywords: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Cold Executive Functions, Irritability, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Non-invasive, Brain Stimulation
Article Type: Research Article |
Subject:
Clinical Psychology
Received: 2026/01/23 | Accepted: 2026/05/26 | Published: 2026/06/20
Received: 2026/01/23 | Accepted: 2026/05/26 | Published: 2026/06/20
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