Journal of Advanced Biomedical Sciences

en Effects of Anodal Prefrontal tDCS on Behavioral Symptoms and Cognitive Flexibility in Children with Learning Disabilities: A Quasi-Experimental Study علوم اعصاب شناختی Cognitive Neuroscience پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;">Background & Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applied to the prefrontal cortex in enhancing behavioral symptoms and cognitive flexibility among children with learning disabilities (LD). Materials & Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was adopted. The statistical population comprised all students with learning disabilities in Tabriz during the 1402–1403 academic year. Using purposive sampling, 30 students were selected and randomly allocated to experimental and control groups. Data were collected using the Stroop Test, the Achenbach Behavioral Problems Test (parent version), and a tDCS stimulation device. For the intervention, a 1.5 mA direct current was delivered across ten 20-minute sessions, with a 5 × 5 cm² anodal electrode positioned at F3 and a 5 × 7 cm² cathodal electrode placed at Fp2, both administering the same 1.5 mA current. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS. Results: Significant improvements were found in internalizing behavioral problems (F = 91.39, p < 0.001, η² = 0.76), externalizing behavioral problems (F = 29.75, p < 0.001, η² = 0.51), and cognitive flexibility (F = 39.80, p < 0.001, η² = 0.58). These findings extend the application of tDCS to behavioral outcomes in children with learning disabilities, a population less frequently examined with respect to prefrontal stimulation compared to children with dyslexia, for whom reading-focused interventions are more common. Conclusion: This non-invasive intervention appears promising as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral therapies aimed at improving behavioral and cognitive symptoms in children with learning disabilities. The moderate-to-large effect sizes underscore its potential clinical significance. However, the absence of a sham control group, the small sample size (n = 30), and the lack of long-term follow-up assessments require caution when interpreting the causal implications and generalizing the findings.  </div> <div> <div> <div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript" on=""><illegal tag=""></illegal></div> </div> </div> <div> <div> <div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript" on=""><illegal tag=""></illegal></div> </div> </div> <div> <div> <div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript" on=""><illegal tag=""></illegal></div> </div> </div> transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), cognitive flexibility, learning disabilities 70 81 http://jabs.fums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-3497-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Vahid Poursaeid وحید پورسعید vahid.psb200@gmail.com 100319475328460030481 0009-0001-9039-3842 No Department of Clinical Psychology, TaMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran گروه روانشناسی بالینی، واحد علوم پزشکی تبریز، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تبریز، ایران Seyed Mahmoud Tabatabaei سید محمود طباطبائی smt@iaut.ac.ir 100319475328460030482 100319475328460030482 Yes Department of Medical Physiology, TaMS.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran گروه فیزیولوژی پزشکی، واحد علوم پزشکی تبریز، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، تبریز، ایران