{
  "abstract": "Introduction The rise of direct-to-consumer neuromodulation devices has opened promising new avenues for effectively managing conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress outside of traditional clinical settings. This real-world evaluation represents the first assessment of cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) on sleep quality in a non-clinical setting.Methods Thirty participants with insomnia from ethnically diverse backgrounds were recruited to receive 40-60 minutes per day of ‘Alpha-Stim AID’ CES treatment for 21 days and completed outcome measures at baseline, week 3 (day 21), and 3 weeks after the end of treatment (day 42). They also wore a sleep tracker (actigraphy) for the duration of the treatment.Results Significant improvements in sleep were observed: 48% of participants reached remission, and sleep disturbances decreased from 82.7% at baseline to 53.2% at the end of the treatment. Excessive daytime sleepiness decreased from 80% at baseline to 40% on day 21. Significant improvement in sleep efficacy was reported via subjective scale and actigraphy measures.Discussion The findings suggest that low-intensity current of the portable CES devices can effectively treat symptoms of insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and sleep disturbances. These pioneering outcomes support the therapeutic use, particularly for individuals facing barriers to conventional therapies. They provide evidence for appropriately designed randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of new generation self-administered brain stimulation, which will address the increasing demand for safe and effective alternative insomnia treatments, especially among marginalised groups. Specific recommendations are outlined to achieve the next step, including the deployment of actigraphy devices before the start of treatment and the restoration of neural dynamics to enhance therapeutic outcomes.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coventry University"
      ],
      "name": "Ksenija da Silva"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coventry University"
      ],
      "name": "Clementine Broom"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coventry University"
      ],
      "name": "Harvey Davy"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coventry University"
      ],
      "name": "Chris Griffiths"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Coventry University"
      ],
      "name": "Jovana Bjekic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "O8 The effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) on sleep and insomnia: a real-world evaluation in a diverse, non-clinical population",
  "uid": "f70ba47c-f52a-5609-92f9-1c0010954260"
}