Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on sleep quality, resilience, and optimism

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Poor sleep quality is prevalent among people all across the world. Different methods have been developed to help clinicians improve sleep quality. Good sleep quality is associated with positive factors, such as resilience and optimism. In this regard, this study aimed to determine the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) effect on sleep quality, resilience, and optimism. This semi-experimental study was conducted using a pre- and post-test design with a control group in November and December 2019. The study sample consisted of 20 students with poor sleep quality from Semnan University (Semnan City, Iran), ranging from an associate degree to a doctorate. They were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (2 groups of 10 subjects). This study used tDCS for interventions, as well as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Life Orientation Test (LOT), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to assess research variables in a pre and post-test design. The experimental group received 10 sessions of therapeutic intervention, while the control group only received a sham wave. After analyzing data by multivariate and univariate analyses of covariance, the results demonstrated that tDCS interventions significantly affected resilience and sleep quality. However, there was no significant effect of tDCS on optimism. Our findings suggested that tDCS may be an effective way to improve sleep quality and resilience, and it could be used as a therapeutic method.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

References

  • Åkerstedt, T., Hume, K. E. N., Minors, D., & Waterhouse, J. I. M. (1994). The subjective meaning of good sleep, an intraindividual approach using the Karolinska sleep diary. Perceptual and motor skills, 79(1), 287–296. https://doi.org/10.2466/2Fpms.1994.79.1.287.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Asghari, A., Kamrava, S. K., Hemami, M. R., Jalessi, M., Yazdanifard, P., Farhadi, M., ... & Tabatabaie, S. S. (2015). Cigarette smoking habit and subjective quality of sleep. Scimetr, 3(1). Advance online publication. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5812/scimetr.18454.

  • Aziz, M., Ali, S. S., Das, S., Younus, A., Malik, R., Latif, M. A., et al. (2017). Association of subjective and objective sleep duration as well as sleep quality with non-invasive markers of sub-clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD): A systematic review. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis, 24(3), 208–226. https://doi.org/10.5551/jat.36194.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Berteotti, C., Cerri, M., Luppi, M., Silvani, A., & Amici, R. (2015). An overview of sleep physiology and and sleep regulation. In Guglietta, A. (Ed.). Drug Treatment of Sleep Disorders (pp. 4–8). Springer.

  • Bonanno, G. A., & Diminich, E. D. (2013). Annual research review: Positive adjustment to adversity–trajectories of minimal–impact resilience and emergent resilience. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(4), 378–401. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12021.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brunoni, A. R., Nitsche, M. A., Bolognini, N., Bikson, M., Wagner, T., Merabet, L., et al. (2012). Clinical research with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): Challenges and future directions. Brain Stimulation, 5(3), 175–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2011.03.002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buysse, D. J., Reynolds III, C. F., Monk, T. H., Berman, S. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (1989). The Pittsburgh sleep quality index: A new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Research, 28(2), 193–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carnevali, L., Pattini, E., Sgoifo, A., & Ottaviani, C. (2019). Effects of prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation on autonomic and neuroendocrine responses to psychosocial stress in healthy humans. Stress, 23(1), 26–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2019.1625884.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carskadon, A. M., & Dement, W. C. (2017). Normal Human Sleep: An Overview. In Kryger, M. H., Roth, T., & Dement, W. C. Principles and practice of sleep medicine, 6th edition (p. 15). Elsevier.

  • Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Segerstrom, S. C. (2010). Optimism. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 879–889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.006.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chehri, A., Nourozi, M., Eskandari, S., Khazaie, H., Hemati, N., & Jalali, A. (2020). Validation of the Persian version of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index in elderly population. Sleep Science, 13(2), 119–124.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, M. Y., Wang, M. J., Chang, M. Y., Zhang, R. X., Gu, C. F., & Zhao, Y. H. (2020). Relationship between resilience and insomnia among the middle-aged and elderly: Mediating role of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Psychology, Health & Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2020.1734637

  • Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety, 18(2), 76–82. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.10113.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Downing, M. J., Millar, B. M., & Hirshfield, S. (2020). Changes in sleep quality and associated health outcomes among gay and bisexual men living with HIV. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 18(3), 406–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2019.1604344.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fasano, J., Shao, T., Huang, H. H., Kessler, A. J., Kolodka, O. P., & Shapiro, C. L. (2020). Optimism and coping: Do they influence health outcomes in women with breast cancer? A systemic review and meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 183, 495–501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-020-05800-5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Feder, A., Haglund, M., Wu, G., Southwick, S. M., & Charney, D. S. (2013). The neurobiology of resilience. In D. S. Charney, J. D. Buxbaum, P. Sklar, & E. J. Nestler (Eds.), Neurobiology of mental illness (pp. 1144–1170). Oxford University Press.

  • Frase, L., Jahn, F., Tsodor, S., Krone, L., Selhausen, P., Feige, B., ... & Nissen, C. (2020). Offline bi-frontal anodal transcranial direct current stimulation decreases Total sleep time without disturbing overnight memory consolidation. Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/ner.13163

  • Hassanshahi, M. M. (2002). The relationship between optimism and coping strategies in university students. The Quarterly Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health, 4, 86–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hernandez, R., Vu, T. H. T., Kershaw, K. N., Carnethon, M., Knutson, K. L., Colangelo, L., & Liu, K. (2014). Abstract P109: The cross-sectional and longitudinal association of dispositional optimism with sleep duration and quality: Findings form the coronary artery risk development in young adults (CARDIA) study. Circulation, 129(suppl_1), AP109-AP109.

  • Jaehne, A., Unbehaun, T., Feige, B., Cohrs, S., Rodenbeck, A., Schütz, A. L., Uhl, V., Zober, A., & Riemann, D. (2015). Sleep changes in smokers before, during and 3 months after nicotine withdrawal. Addiction Biology, 20(4), 747–755. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12151.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • James, P., Kim, E. S., Kubzansky, L. D., Zevon, E. S., Trudel-Fitzgerald, C., & Grodstein, F. (2019). Optimism and healthy aging in women. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 56(1), 116–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.07.037.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Jones-Bitton, A., Best, C., MacTavish, J., Fleming, S., & Hoy, S. (2020). Stress, anxiety, depression, and resilience in Canadian farmers. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55(2), 229–236. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01738-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kalisch, R., Baker, D. G., Basten, U., Boks, M. P., Bonanno, G. A., Brummelman, E., et al. (2017). The resilience framework as a strategy to combat stress-related disorders. Nature Human Behaviour, 1(11), 784–790. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0200-8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Khayyer, Z., Ngaosuvan, L., Sikström, S., & Ghaderi, A. H. (2018). Transcranial direct current stimulation based on quantitative electroencephalogram combining positive psychotherapy for major depression. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience, 17(2), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.3233/JIN-170045.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khoshouei, M. S. (2009). Psychometric evaluation of the Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC) using Iranian students. International Journal of Testing, 9(1), 60–66.

  • Kılınç, G., Yıldız, E., & Kavak, F. (2019). The relationship between psychological resilience and life satisfaction in COPD patients. Journal of Psychiatric Nursing/Psikiyatri Hemsireleri Dernegi, 10(2), 111–116. https://doi.org/10.14744/phd.2019.60362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kosari, Z., Dadashi, M., Maghbouli, M., & Mostafavi, H. (2019). Comparing the effectiveness of neurofeedback and transcranial direct current stimulation on sleep quality of patients with migraine. Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 10(6), 579–588. https://doi.org/10.32598/2FBCN.10.6.651.3.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lemola, S., Räikkönen, K., Gomez, V., & Allemand, M. (2013). Optimism and self-esteem are related to sleep. Results from a large community-based sample. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 20(4), 567–571. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-012-9272-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Martí, M. L., & Ruch, W. (2017). Character strengths predict resilience over and above positive affect, self-efficacy, optimism, social support, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(2), 110–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1163403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mignot, E., Taheri, S., & Nishino, S. (2002). Sleeping with the hypothalamus: Emerging therapeutic targets for sleep disorders. Nature Neuroscience, 5(11), 1071–1075. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn944.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nitsche, M. A., Cohen, L. G., Wassermann, E. M., Priori, A., Lang, N., Antal, A., Paulus, W., Hummel, F., Boggio, P. S., Fregni, F., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2008). Transcranial direct current stimulation: State of the art 2008. Brain Stimulation, 1(3), 206–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2008.06.004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parrino, L., & Vaudano, A. E. (2018). The resilient brain and the guardians of sleep: New perspectives on old assumptions. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 39, 98–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2017.08.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peres, M. F., Oliveira, A. B., Mercante, J. P., Kamei, H. H., Tobo, P. R., Rozen, T. D., et al. (2019). Optimism, pessimism, and migraine: A cross-sectional, population-based study. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 59(2), 205–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.13471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pilcher, J. J., Ginter, D. R., & Sadowsky, B. (1997). Sleep quality versus sleep quantity: Relationships between sleep and measures of health, well-being and sleepiness in college students. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 42(6), 583–596. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3999(97)00004-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ramírez-Maestre, C., Esteve, R., López-Martínez, A. E., Serrano-Ibáñez, E. R., Ruiz-Párraga, G. T., & Peters, M. (2019). Goal adjustment and well-being: The role of optimism in patients with chronic pain. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 53(7), 597–607. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kay070.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rozanski, A., Bavishi, C., Kubzansky, L. D., & Cohen, R. (2019). Association of optimism with cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open, 2(9), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.12200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1985). Optimism, coping, and health: Assessment and implications of generalized outcome expectancies. Health Psychology, 4(3), 219–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.4.3.219.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1992). Effects of optimism on psychological and physical well-being: Theoretical overview and empirical update. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 16(2), 201–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173489.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sadock, B., Kaplan, S. V., & Sadock, V. K. (2003). Sadocks synopsis of psychiatry. Williams and Wilkins.

  • Segerstrom, S. C., Carver, C. S., & Scheier, M. F. (2017). Optimism. In The happy mind: Cognitive contributions to well-being (pp. 195-212). Springer.

  • Salces-Cubero, I. M., Ramírez-Fernández, E., & Ortega-Martínez, A. R. (2019). Strengths in older adults: Differential effect of savoring, gratitude and optimism on well-being. Aging & Mental Health, 23(8), 1017–1024. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1471585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarmiento, C. I., San-Juan, D., & Prasath, V. B. S. (2016). Letter to the editor: Brief history of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): From electric fishes to microcontrollers. Psychological Medicine, 46(15), 3259–3261. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291716001926.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, K., & Ordiah, C. (2018). Association of mildly insufficient sleep with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Neurology, Psychiatry and Brain Research, 30, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npbr.2018.03.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weitzer, J., Papantoniou, K., Lázaro-Sebastià, C., Seidel, S., Klösch, G., & Schernhammer, E. (2021). The contribution of dispositional optimism to understanding insomnia symptomatology: Findings from a cross-sectional population study in Austria. Journal of Sleep Research, 30(1), e13132.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xi, Y., Yu, H., Yao, Y., Peng, K., Wang, Y., & Chen, R. (2020). Post-traumatic stress disorder and the role of resilience, social support, anxiety and depression after the Jiuzhaigou earthquake: A structural equation model. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 49, 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

    Babak Mohebbian, Mahmoud Najafi & Parviz Sabahi

Authors
  1. Babak Mohebbian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mahmoud Najafi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Parviz Sabahi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahmoud Najafi.

Ethics declarations

Ethical Approval

All study procedures were conducted regarding ethical standards. The study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards; this study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Semnan University of Medical Sciences (Semnan, Iran; ID: IR.SEMUMS.REC.1398.045).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Consent to Participate

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study. All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.

Consent to Publication

All participants and authors of the present study gave their consent for publication of this paper.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mohebbian, B., Najafi, M. & Sabahi, P. The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation on sleep quality, resilience, and optimism. Curr Psychol 42, 5785–5792 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01944-9

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01944-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation