Transcranial alternating current stimulation for treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: A randomized controlled trial

for the OSCCAR Investigators; Xinyuan Chen; Xia Liu; Wei Lin; Lin Zhang; Xiaoping Cheng; Ziqiang Huang; Wanli Zhang; Huating Zeng; Yanhua Lian; Yingjuan Zhang; Mengcheng Li; Naping Chen; Shuna Huang; Zhaodi Wang; Xichen Wang; Ruying Yuan; Xuanyu Chen; Zhenyi Liu; Zhixian Ye; Bi Cheng; Yue Zhang; Qunlin Chen; Duolao Wang; Jun Ni; Ning Wang; Ying Fu; Shirui Gan

doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102162

Transcranial alternating current stimulation for treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: A randomized controlled trial

for the OSCCAR Investigators
, Xinyuan Chen
, Xia Liu
, Wei Lin
, Lin Zhang
, Xiaoping Cheng
, Ziqiang Huang
, Wanli Zhang
, Huating Zeng
, Yanhua Lian
, Yingjuan Zhang
, Mengcheng Li
, Naping Chen
, Shuna Huang
, Zhaodi Wang
, Xichen Wang
, Ruying Yuan
, Xuanyu Chen
, Zhenyi Liu
, Zhixian Ye

Bi Cheng, Yue Zhang, Qunlin Chen, Duolao Wang, Jun Ni, Ning Wang, Ying Fu, Shirui Gan

Fujian Medical University
Binzhou Medical University
Fuzhou University
Jianou Municipal Hospital of Fujian Province

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

There are no specific treatments for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), a neurodegenerative disease causing cerebellar dysfunction. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can improve cerebellar motor functions, and it has been shown to be safe and effective in treating neurological diseases. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) explored the effects of tACS on SCA3 patients. Participants received either 40-min, 70 Hz, 2 mA tACS or sham stimulation daily for 2 weeks. The primary outcome was met by 80% of the active-tACS group (32/40) and 10% of the sham group (4/40). The active group also showed significantly greater reductions in the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) scores. No serious adverse events occurred, indicating high safety. Therefore, tACS is effective, safe, and feasible for treating SCA3. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05557786).

Original language	English
Article number	102162
Journal	Cell Reports Medicine
Volume	6
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102162
Publication status	Published - 17 Jun 2025

Keywords

functional connectivity
non-invasive brain stimulation
randomized sham-controlled trial
spinocerebellar ataxia type 3
transcranial alternating current stimulation

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10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102162Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S2666379125002356-mainFinal published version, 3.6 MBLicence: CC BY-NC

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for the OSCCAR Investigators, Chen, X., Liu, X., Lin, W., Zhang, L., Cheng, X., Huang, Z., Zhang, W., Zeng, H., Lian, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, M., Chen, N., Huang, S., Wang, Z., Wang, X., Yuan, R., Chen, X., Liu, Z., ... Gan, S. (2025). Transcranial alternating current stimulation for treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: A randomized controlled trial. Cell Reports Medicine, 6(6), Article 102162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102162

@article{da0d7099d62b4f3f8025f8b084e8b22b,

title = "Transcranial alternating current stimulation for treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: A randomized controlled trial",

abstract = "There are no specific treatments for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), a neurodegenerative disease causing cerebellar dysfunction. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can improve cerebellar motor functions, and it has been shown to be safe and effective in treating neurological diseases. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) explored the effects of tACS on SCA3 patients. Participants received either 40-min, 70 Hz, 2 mA tACS or sham stimulation daily for 2 weeks. The primary outcome was met by 80\% of the active-tACS group (32/40) and 10\% of the sham group (4/40). The active group also showed significantly greater reductions in the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) scores. No serious adverse events occurred, indicating high safety. Therefore, tACS is effective, safe, and feasible for treating SCA3. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05557786).",

keywords = "functional connectivity, non-invasive brain stimulation, randomized sham-controlled trial, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, transcranial alternating current stimulation",

author = "\{for the OSCCAR Investigators\} and Xinyuan Chen and Xia Liu and Wei Lin and Lin Zhang and Xiaoping Cheng and Ziqiang Huang and Wanli Zhang and Huating Zeng and Yanhua Lian and Yingjuan Zhang and Mengcheng Li and Naping Chen and Shuna Huang and Zhaodi Wang and Xichen Wang and Ruying Yuan and Xuanyu Chen and Zhenyi Liu and Zhixian Ye and Bi Cheng and Yue Zhang and Qunlin Chen and Duolao Wang and Jun Ni and Ning Wang and Ying Fu and Shirui Gan",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s)",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102162",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

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issn = "2666-3791",

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for the OSCCAR Investigators, Chen, X, Liu, X, Lin, W, Zhang, L, Cheng, X, Huang, Z, Zhang, W, Zeng, H, Lian, Y, Zhang, Y, Li, M, Chen, N, Huang, S, Wang, Z, Wang, X, Yuan, R, Chen, X, Liu, Z, Ye, Z, Cheng, B, Zhang, Y, Chen, Q, Wang, D, Ni, J, Wang, N, Fu, Y & Gan, S 2025, 'Transcranial alternating current stimulation for treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: A randomized controlled trial', Cell Reports Medicine, vol. 6, no. 6, 102162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102162

TY - JOUR

T1 - Transcranial alternating current stimulation for treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: A randomized controlled trial

AU - for the OSCCAR Investigators

AU - Chen, Xinyuan

AU - Liu, Xia

AU - Lin, Wei

AU - Zhang, Lin

AU - Cheng, Xiaoping

AU - Huang, Ziqiang

AU - Zhang, Wanli

AU - Zeng, Huating

AU - Lian, Yanhua

AU - Zhang, Yingjuan

AU - Li, Mengcheng

AU - Chen, Naping

AU - Huang, Shuna

AU - Wang, Zhaodi

AU - Wang, Xichen

AU - Yuan, Ruying

AU - Chen, Xuanyu

AU - Liu, Zhenyi

AU - Ye, Zhixian

AU - Cheng, Bi

AU - Zhang, Yue

AU - Chen, Qunlin

AU - Wang, Duolao

AU - Ni, Jun

AU - Wang, Ning

AU - Fu, Ying

AU - Gan, Shirui

PY - 2025/6/17

Y1 - 2025/6/17

N2 - There are no specific treatments for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), a neurodegenerative disease causing cerebellar dysfunction. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can improve cerebellar motor functions, and it has been shown to be safe and effective in treating neurological diseases. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) explored the effects of tACS on SCA3 patients. Participants received either 40-min, 70 Hz, 2 mA tACS or sham stimulation daily for 2 weeks. The primary outcome was met by 80% of the active-tACS group (32/40) and 10% of the sham group (4/40). The active group also showed significantly greater reductions in the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) scores. No serious adverse events occurred, indicating high safety. Therefore, tACS is effective, safe, and feasible for treating SCA3. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05557786).

AB - There are no specific treatments for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), a neurodegenerative disease causing cerebellar dysfunction. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can improve cerebellar motor functions, and it has been shown to be safe and effective in treating neurological diseases. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) explored the effects of tACS on SCA3 patients. Participants received either 40-min, 70 Hz, 2 mA tACS or sham stimulation daily for 2 weeks. The primary outcome was met by 80% of the active-tACS group (32/40) and 10% of the sham group (4/40). The active group also showed significantly greater reductions in the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) scores. No serious adverse events occurred, indicating high safety. Therefore, tACS is effective, safe, and feasible for treating SCA3. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05557786).

KW - functional connectivity

KW - non-invasive brain stimulation

KW - randomized sham-controlled trial

KW - spinocerebellar ataxia type 3

KW - transcranial alternating current stimulation

U2 - 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102162

DO - 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102162

M3 - Article

C2 - 40532663

AN - SCOPUS:105008145671

SN - 2666-3791

VL - 6

JO - Cell Reports Medicine

JF - Cell Reports Medicine

IS - 6

M1 - 102162

ER -

Transcranial alternating current stimulation for treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Keywords

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