The Effects of tDCS on the Identification of Emotion in a Speaker’s Voice in Young Adults with Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often necessitates therapy to address differences in social communication that may inhibit successful social interactions. Emerging evidence suggests that noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) can improve some cognitive functions, including skills contributing to social communication, such as working memory, executive function, and auditory processing. One promising intervention uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve cognitive function in young adults with ASD. Emerging evidence indicates that using tDCS in combination with therapy tasks is a promising approach for treating social communication deficits in ASD. This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study examined whether applying tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), when paired with social communication intervention, enhanced auditory emotion recognition in this population. Mixed-model ANOVAs revealed significant improvements over time for Affect, Social Perception (SP), and Pairs scores (ps < .05), regardless of group assignment. The active tDCS group showed more sustained improvement at follow-up for Affect and SP scores, with a trend toward group differences in SP (p = .051). Participants in both groups reported subjective improvements in their ability to interpret tone, emotion, and facial expressions. Findings suggest that structured behavioral interventions are effective in improving social perception skills in young adults with ASD. While tDCS did not produce significant group-level enhancements in this smaller sample, the pattern of sustained improvement in the active tDCS group supports further investigation into its potential as an adjunct treatment. The study contributes to a growing body of literature on adult ASD intervention and highlights the need for accessible, scalable therapies during the transition to adulthood.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Special Education

Grantor

Texas Woman's University

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Nishida, Michelle Miller

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Mehta, Jyutika

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Green, Laura
• Keeley, Randa

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Social communication
• Auditory emotion recognition
• Transcranial direct current stimulation
• Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
• Young adults
• Randomized controlled trial

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/11274/17444

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:twu-ir.tdl.org:11274/17444