Use and efficacy of commercially available tES devices: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Poster Session F - Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Sara Anne Goring¹ (sara.goring@tufts.edu), Marissa Marko Lee¹, Sydni M. Nadler², Madelyn Sandone¹, Tad T. Brunyé^3,1; ¹Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA, ²Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA,, ³U.S. Army DEVCOM Soldier Center, Natick, MA, USA

There is growing demand for cognitive enhancement in healthy, neurotypical individuals using transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) methods. In recent years, commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) tES devices have become accessible to the public without necessitating the provision of clinicians or medical professionals. Given the increased availability, the efficacy and safety of these devices are important and timely factors to explore. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to identify and aggregate research evaluating the effects of COTS tES devices for the enhancement of cognitive and physical abilities in neurotypical individuals. A total of 60 reports were identified that utilized one of the 27 available COTS devices. Most studies used ActivaDose II Iontophoresis (36) or Halo Sport (9), with many reporting null findings. Meta-analytic procedures evaluated the overall effect of these devices on cognitive and physical outcomes. Across the cognitive domains, COTS tES devices had mostly positive (38.1%) or null (56.6%) effects, with only 5.3% reporting negative outcomes (e.g., poorer recall after stimulation). Similarly, the effect of COTS tES devices on various physical outcomes resulted in positive (30.9%) or null (67.4%) effects, with only 1.7% indicating a negative effect. Follow-up analyses examined additional factors influencing the efficacy and safety of these devices, including electrode placement, current intensity, and stimulation duration. For example, 2mA was found to be the most frequent and effective amount of current for positive outcomes. Overall, COTS tES devices produced inconsistent effects across studies, and these outcomes varied depending on other factors in the study design.

Topic Area: METHODS: Other