A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Executive Functions, Emotional Dysregulation, Mania Severity, and Delusional Beliefs in Patients with Bipolar Disorder
Keywords:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Executive Functions, Emotional Dysregulation, Mania Severity, Delusional Beliefs, Bipolar DisorderAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on executive functions, emotional dysregulation, mania severity, and delusional beliefs in patients diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder.
Methods and Materials: The research employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest control groups and a four-month follow-up. The statistical population included all patients with Bipolar I Disorder in Isfahan during the final quarter of 2023. Forty-five eligible participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: DBT (n = 15), tDCS (n = 15), and control (n = 15). The DBT group received eight 90-minute sessions based on Linehan’s model, while the tDCS group underwent ten consecutive sessions targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using Nejati’s Executive Functions Questionnaire (2013), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), the Young Mania Rating Scale (Young et al., 1978), and the Peters Delusions Inventory (Peters et al., 1999). Data analysis was performed using mixed-design repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS-26 software.
Findings: The results revealed that both DBT and tDCS significantly improved executive functions and reduced emotional dysregulation, mania severity, and delusional beliefs compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, DBT demonstrated a greater effect than tDCS in enhancing executive functions, regulating emotions, and reducing delusional beliefs, while tDCS was more effective in decreasing mania severity. These effects were maintained at the four-month follow-up, confirming the stability of both interventions over time.
Conclusion: Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation are both effective interventions for improving cognitive and emotional functioning in patients with Bipolar I Disorder, though they operate through different therapeutic mechanisms—DBT through behavioral and cognitive restructuring and tDCS through neurophysiological modulation.
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